What Words Can't Say
by kawarimi
Summary: Follows Naruto and Sakura's attempts to bring Sasuke back to Konoha and Sasuke's redemption, told mostly from Sakura's POV. A mixture of humor, romance, and more serious consequences. For uptodate manga readers only.
1. Chapter 1 The Words that Started It All

Disclaimer: Don't own and didn't create Naruto, sure wish I was that creative.

A/N: I came up with a soundtrack for this fic - one track for each chapter (two for the last one), so check out my profile page to hear clips of them!

_(Track 1)_

_**Prologue:**_

It was a few months before Naruto would return when "it" happened. And what happened after would change her life forever.

She returned from her own work out after an especially long day of training with Tsunade, who was teaching her the ways of a medical-nin, as well as other jutsu the San-nin had developed over the years. But anyway, when Sakura arrived, she quickly ate the cold dinner her mother had left out for her before her parents had turned in for the night and was about to collapse on her bed in her room , when for some unknown reason she decided to step out onto her balcony for a few minutes.

Bent at the waist, she leaned far over the banister, her big eyes staring at the multitude of stars above her. No matter how hard she tried to discipline herself, her thoughts wandered onto _him_. She swore to herself many times not to think about it until Naruto returned and as a pair try searching for their teammate, but her thoughts didn't listen. It was in the middle of this chiding herself that a dark figure suddenly jumped next to her.

If it weren't for her flexibility and training, she probably would've flipped over the railing and landed painfully on the street below. Instead, she was wobbly balanced over the railing, stretched out in a superman position. She craned her neck around to observe that the cloaked figure hadn't moved. But his eyes were steadily trained on her. She couldn't see his face, but she knew who it was. She could _feel_ it in the intensity of his gaze. The long since gone Team 7 member. She was almost sure it hadn't been 3 years yet, so at least the transfer hadn't occurred yet, right? Of course, what reason would Orochimaru have to be on her balcony? Of course, what reason would Sasuke have to be on her balcony?

He motioned questioningly toward her bedroom. She nodded that it was ok and he silently followed her inside. As he pushed back the hood shading his face, he began to speak…

**_Chapter 1: The Words that Started It All_**

As he pushed back the hood shading his face, he began to speak.

"Sakura. Don't panic. I'm not here to hurt you. I just have a favor to ask from you," he murmured softly

Swallowing hard, she nodded for Sasuke to continue.

Content that she wasn't going to attack, scream, or run for help, he questioned, "Is it ok to talk here?"

"Yeah, sure. My parents are already asleep."

Clearing (quietly, of course) his throat, perhaps buying a few seconds to muster up his courage, he continued "Do you still mean what you said the night I left the village? About being willing to do anything for me?"

Once again she nodded, sans the swallowing.

"Do you still mean them?" he asked plainly.

For the third time, she nodded, a little more slowly this time, though.

"Then will you marry me?"

"Umm…let me think for a minute. That's, uh, not exactly what I was expecting," she managed to get out after about 5 minutes of staring bug-eyed at her former crush. Sure, she loved him before, and she certainly still cared about him and would do just about anything to bring him back as a ninja of Konoha, but marriage? Not even in her wildest fantasy in her earlier days did she think Sasuke would _actually_ propose to her after being teammates for almost a year (ok, maybe in her _wildest _fantasies). But certainly not suddenly like this after a 2-year and some absence. _Well, they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder…Ok, that was a stupid thought. Of course he's not in love with me now. There obviously has to be some benefit for him from all of this._

Sasuke looked nervously out the window. Obviously it would not be good for him to get caught here. He didn't want to give alert of his presence or get into a fight. That's not what he came here for. _Man, she's taking a long time. I thought she was obsessed with me. This should be a no-brainer for her or any of the other silly girls from our class. She's not in love with someone else now, is she? Because crap, that makes things more difficult for me. I'd have no freaking idea who to choose if she rejects me._

Noticing his anxiousness, Sakura finally breaks the silence. "Um, do you want to talk about this somewhere outside the village where it's a little safer?"

"What about your parents? Will they notice?"

"No, even if they wake up, I've come home later than this from training before. So…shall we?" she gestured toward the window.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted while he nodded in reply, confused by Sakura's comment about late training.

And so off they leapt rooftop to rooftop until they reached the village wall, and then it was treetop to treetop. Sasuke was surprised how easily Sakura was keeping up with his quick pace. Maybe she had worked out during all this time…maybe. She always had the potential, of course, but to actually train hard enough to make something of it. Maybe this was a better decision than he realized.

He also took time to notice how her legs had grown longer and slimmer, her arms were more defined. Her chest still had room for improvement, but he had to admit that they were still kinda cute despite their smallness. Of course, being a guy, the thought of being a ninja and having large boobs being an inconvenience never crossed his mind. Sakura sure didn't know how Tsunade did it. But he definitely liked her legs.

Sakura, on the other hand, was completely torn in two. After all, this was practically her dream come true without having the end-all battle that she thought she'd have to fight, the motivation for all her hard training over the years. But something just didn't feel right. Maybe having a teammate who left to join the enemy in order to gain more power, even though it meant leaving everyone behind, potentially betraying the village, and even almost killing Naruto, suddenly return with a marriage proposal just might have something to do with the bad feeling. Just maybe.

As the leaves brushed her face, she knew deep down Sasuke wouldn't do anything to hurt her. He was desperate to kill his brother, but he wouldn't cause unnecessary injury. What reason did he have to hurt her? Of course, she had no clue what reason he would have to marry her, so that showed how little she knew of his reasoning at this point in time. _What on earth is he thinking? What on earth am I-_. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke's abrupt stop as she nearly smacked into his back. _Good one, girl. Way to make an impression. Can't even pay attention to the person I'm following. He probably thinks I haven't improved at all._

Sasuke simply waited for Sakura to finish her inner-monologue before clearing his throat to display his readiness to continue the conversation they were having in her bedroom. "This should be far enough away. Now, I'm guessing you want a few more details?" He lowered himself and straddled the branch they had stopped on.

"Well, yeah. No offense, but this is a little suspicious and all. I mean, for all I know, you could already be Orochimaru." As she lowered herself on the branch, both legs hanging off one side, she watched for any sort of reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"It hasn't been 3 years yet," was all she got for a response.

Sighing, she murmured, "So what are the conditions?"

"The most important thing is you can't tell _anyone_ about me. Not Naruto, not Kakashi-sensei. Not even the hokage herself. You got that?"

Sakura nodded.

"And then…we'll just meet whenever I can spare, and you'll, um, you'll, uh…you know…perform your, uh, wifely duty," he stuttered. "And that's all," he added a little too quickly.

_I guess even revenge driven males are horny_, Sakura thought sarcastically. _Still, why would he take the risk when if sex is all he wants he could probably find a girl in the sound village. In fact, I bet Orochimaru would love to get his hands on his child…oh, I get why the risk now._

Sakura decided to refuse his offer, at least for the time being until some things got straightened out, and until she got to know the current situation a little better. Of course Inner-Sakura was already celebrating at the concept of being Sasuke's wife, but she knew better than to jump into something so irrationally, especially if it seemed like he was just going to be using her. She did, after all, grow up some since the last time they met. It was actually kind of insulting to her to think she would just go into it so blindly.

Sasuke fidgeted waiting for a response. "I would consider it a real marriage," he threw out. "And that night, you said you…you loved me and would do anything for me, right?" he almost begged.

Sakura was taken aback at the sudden dissipation of his stoic demeanor. He almost seemed desperate. All that played on her face, though, was the steady gaze she had been holding through all her contemplating.

"Sakura, please. I need this from you. Come on, I already have the priest ready and everything."

She was probably going to regret this, but…. "Ok, Sasuke. Ok, I'll marry you."


	2. Chapter 2 Vows of Commitment

Disclaimer: Still not the genius creator/owner of Naruto.

**_Chapter 2: Vows of Commitment_**

Sakura suddenly became very conscious of how she hadn't showered after all her training, and how she probably looks very ragged in addition to the lovely sweat smell. _Oh well, _she though, _this whole thing hasn't exactly been a girl's fantasy come true_.

Sasuke took her by the hand and surprisingly led her back toward Konoha. He slowed as they approached the wall surrounding the village and motioned for her to stay back as he checked for any sign of patrol in the area. After a few minutes of sharingan observation, he signaled the coast was clear and they made their way to an abandoned section of the village.

Sakura gasped when she realized where he had taken her; it was obvious from all the Uchiha symbols displayed everywhere. She started to question, but Sasuke interrupted with, "Just a little further." Sasuke's steps faltered ever so slightly in front of one of the many symbols that had what appeared to be damage from a kunai or other weapon before turning to enter the house that faced it. Sakura stared at the marred symbol for a moment before following him into the building.

This was all so strange to her. A whole section of the village to house one clan. For her family, it was simply her one set of grandparents, her parents, and herself, all in two adjacent apartments. She felt like she was stepping into a completely different world than she had known her whole life. But in addition to awe, she felt the cold chill of what had transpired here, as if the massacre itself had somehow attached itself to the very air she was now breathing. She shuddered as she slipped out of her sandals to follow Sasuke down the hall. He seemed so indifferent. _How could this not affect him when I can feel the weight of what happened here?_

After walking down several hallways and past an overgrown courtyard, Sasuke finally seemed to reach his destination and opened the door to his parents' bedroom. Walking straight to one of the closets, he slid open the doors and started laying aside several wrapped bundles before finally pulling out two small wooden boxes. At first they appeared to be plain boxes, but then Sakura noticed a very ornate and detailed pattern carved into them. Phoenixes, each following the one before it, frozen in graceful motion around the sides.

"Here." He held out the slightly larger of the two boxes in her direction. As she took it from him, Sasuke added, "Turn right out of here, and then the second door on your right is a bathhouse. I started a fire earlier, so it should be warm enough now. There's no running water, so I filled some buckets for showering. It'll be cold. Sorry."

"Oh…that's ok. A cold shower is refreshing right?" She tried to give a reassuring smile.

"Try not to take too long. We don't have much time tonight."

Something about the way he said 'tonight' made her stomach jump a little. She nodded and turned to find her way down the hall. This all just seemed so surreal. When she entered the room, everything she needed was all laid out for her. After washing up quickly, she allowed the hot water in the tub relax her nerves a little.

_What on earth am I doing? This is absolutely crazy. Sure, for a moment he had a desperate look that I couldn't help but feel moved by. But it's not too late to back out. I can just say, 'Sorry, this is just too weird. Come back a little more normally, please.' But then, will there be a next time? It was desperation that had prompted him to leave Konoha and chase after the promises of Orochimaru. Now it was desperation that brought him back….to me. I can't pass up this opportunity to restore him to us, but is it worth what I have to give?_

His pleading eyes crossed her thoughts once more, and she resolved that she would go through with this regardless of the consequences to her. She'll worry about that part later. She stood up and wrapped herself in a towel as she stepped out of the tub. Sakura hadn't dared to open the box up to that point, but since she had made up her mind to go through with this, she reached out a shaky hand and popped open the latch. Inside lay the most beautiful wedding kimono she had ever seen. It was the traditional white, but the embroidery was so intricate. Cranes seemed to soar through the branches of the pattern, as if trying to reach the heights of joy. She hadn't worn a kimono since her parents used to take her to festivals when she was much younger.

Slowly, almost like donning on a new personality, she slipped on each layer, like memories of a time long forgotten. She tied the obi as if it would hide her nervousness in confidence. She placed the hat on her head to cover any worries.

There was no way she could put her hair up in a traditional bun herself, so she had simply pinned up the long pink locks with crane combs she found in the box. _Hopefully that won't look too out of place with the traditional outfit_, she thought. When she went to put on the tabi socks, she realized a horrible mistake she had made – the socks should have been the first thing she put on. _Crap! Ok, don't panic. I don't have time to undress and start over, so I'm just going to have to figure out a way to do this._

Sakura very precariously lifted one leg up as high as the kimono would permit and then slowly stretched out with her arms, hoping they would find a point in space where they could meet up. Sasuke happened to choose that moment to check up on her progress and found for himself a rather interesting looking silhouette.

Staring cockeyed at it for a few minutes, he finally decided to speak up. "Ummm…Sakura, everything going ok in there?"

"Eeek!" Sakura screeched as her kimonoed bottom hit the floor. "Hehe, yeah, I'm fine in here. Just putting on the last touches. Hehe." Somehow the self-assurance she had gained in the dressing process slowly deflated.

She looked up at the sound of the door sliding open to see Sasuke walking toward her. She tried not to stare, but Sasuke looked absolutely handsome in his black kimono and haori overcoat. The dark material brought out his eyes, and for a moment she seemed lost in their deepness. This was the first chance she had to see him in proper lighting, and she noticed his face had a more mature, elongated look since she last saw him, and the features seemed a little more defined than before. She studied his face without blinking until her eyes began to dry out and she had to blink to remoisten them.

"Would you like help with your tabi?" he asked, surprisingly gently. She nodded and couldn't hold back the blush as he bent down to carefully slip the socks onto her feet as she sat awkwardly where she had fallen to the floor previously. He stood back up when he had finished and looked down at her. "Are you all ready then?"

"Um…" She delayed as she glanced around the room, as if she might have left something behind. "Yes," she confirmed. "And uh, thank you for helping me with the tabi."

"You're welcome," he answered in reply as he walked toward the door. Sakura quickly stood up to follow. Stopping right before exiting, he turned to her, "You're sure you want to do this?" he questioned one more time.

She brightened her face with a large smile. "Hmm-hm. Of course! I already said I would, didn't I? And not to sound cheesy like Naruto-kun, but I don't go back on my word."

He turned back and walked out the door. Her face fell, only slightly, though, and she hurriedly followed him out the room and down the hall. He led her to the other end of the complex where there was apparently a shrine. _Who knew?_ Sakura thought. The priest looked bored waiting for the couple to arrive, but immediately donned a smile at the sight of the couple.

"Here is the happy couple. You two must really be in love to secretly marry like this. Probably going against family wishes, too."

"Is that a problem, Priest? You said you would do this."

Waving his arms to assure it was ok, he responded with, "No, no, this is fine. No one goes with arranged marriages anymore. And it seems each generation waits later and later in life to get married. So old when they finally have children. But not you two. You will have time for lots of kids, eh?" he seemed to almost wink at them.

Sakura looked embarrassed while Sasuke appeared impatient. "Is this kind speech part of the ceremony now?" he retorted sarcastically. The callous Sasuke was definitely back.

"Ok, ok. I didn't mean to embarrass you, young man. Follow me."

"I wasn't embarrassed," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

As they followed the priest into the shrine, Sakura noticed a shrine maiden making the final preparations for the ceremony. She saw that someone had already set up the offerings of rice water, salt, fruit, and sake.

_(Track 2)_  
She followed Sasuke and kneeled next to him facing the alter, the priest in front and to their left, and the maiden in front and on their right. The priest then proceeded to purify the alter and the couple with a folded paper-decorated staff followed by a few words on marriage. Sakura could hardly pay attention to the words over the pounding in her chest. She glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he was just as nervous as she. Before she realized, the maiden was already serving the three cups of sake that they would individually take three sips from each of the three cups. Sakura tried to steady the shaking of her hand, but she felt completely transparent at that moment, yet Sasuke remained as composed as he had through the entire ceremony.

_He really must have nerves of steel_,Sakura thought as she took her first sip. She tried desperately to hold back the grimace that wanted to surface. This was her first time drinking, and she did not see why anyone would drink this stuff willingly. But then her eyes accidentally caught Sasuke's gaze and the weight of the situation suddenly descended upon her. She wasn't nervous anymore, but she wasn't sure exactly what kind of feeling it was replaced with. Soon, the ceremony was over and Sasuke was leading her back to the main house section after handing the priest a few coins.

They stopped in front of the bathhouse. "Change back into your clothes and meet me back out here. We've probably already spent too much time here and need to sneak out quick before someone notices," he advised solemnly.

Sakura simply nodded and proceeded to enter the room and follow his instructions. She quickly changed and placed all the garments back exactly as they were to the best of her ability. She then picked up the box and found Sasuke was already outside the door waiting for her. He replaced both of their boxes back in the closet, picked up some blankets from a different closet, and grabbed her hand and without a word guided her back into the woods surrounding Konoha.

Probably a kilometer or so outside the village walls, Sasuke dropped down to the ground. Sakura followed suit. She watched him walk underneath one of the large trees where the trunk was supported a few feet off the ground by its massive roots, like one of the trees under which she had spent the night watching over her two teammates during the Chuunin exam. She watched wordlessly as Sasuke spread a few blankets on the ground. She understood what this was for.

"Um, is this really better than at your house? I mean, at least there we have four walls and a roof. This is so…so open."

"If we're discovered, this allows for a much easier escape into any direction, as well as being farther from back up. If it'll make you feel better, I can cast a genjutu so it'll look like we aren't here."

"Yeah, that'll help, I guess," she replied plainly as she joined him in the shelter of the tree, trying to put out of mind the unbelievably humiliating 'if we're discovered' part.

At least the shadowed location made her feel a little less self-conscious as she hesitatingly removed her clothes as Sasuke did likewise. They stood like that for a few moments until Sasuke moved in close and started kissing her body and feeling her with his hands. After a few minutes of such, he slowly lowered her down onto the blankets and proceeded further until he noticed her scrunched up face and stopped.

Sighing in frustration, he started, "You knew this was part of the agreement. You said you'd do this. I'm not going to rape you here and I'm not trying to hurt you!" his voice slowly rising by the end.

"I know. It's not that, it's just, um…how should I put it? I'm, uh, not quite ready just yet. I need a little more from you."

"More than that?" Sasuke questioned with a sincerely puzzled look on his face. For the first time since she had accepted his proposal he looked unsure of himself, which helped Sakura feel a little less unsure.

_At least this seems to be his first time, too, then._ She then guided him in what better worked for her, and somehow they managed to pull something off. It wasn't the best, it was awkward as hell, not to mention slightly painful on her part, but at least it wasn't horrible. And it was obvious Sasuke was being as gentle as he could. That's why she could only stare in shock as, as soon as it was over, he immediately stood up, got dressed, and turned to leave. The only thing he said before his departure was, "I'll stop by your room the next time I'm near here. It'll probably be at least a few weeks. And, uh, you looked nice in the kimono. I forgot to tell you that earlier." And then he was gone.

Sakura assumed she was to take the blankets back with her, wash them, and put them back in the closet he had taken them from. But instead of taking them back, she stayed where she was. And instead of soap and water she used her tears. She wasn't ready to put herself back just yet. Only two things alternated within her mind as the tears poured unceasingly: his voice repeating 'I'm not trying to hurt you' and the fact that not once did he kiss her on the lips.


	3. Chapter 3 Concerning Words

Dislcaimer: I'm not even pretending to own Naruto.

**_Chapter 3: Concerning Words_**

Sakura moaned and rolled over to hit the snooze button for the third time that morning. Her sleepy eyes were not ready to face the morning. She was sore somewhere else, too, but she tried not to think about that.

"Sakura! If you don't get out of bed right now you know you'll never be ready in time!" Sakura's mother screamed from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up, I'm up, I swear," she called back to her mother as she stood up, before immediately collapsing back on her bed. By the time she had gotten home after taking care of the blankets, she only had 3 hours before she'd have to be up again, and she wanted to milk every extra minute she could before her usual meeting with Tsunade.

"SAKURA!"

"Ok, I'm up for real now, honest." She stumbled her way to the bathroom and discovered her reflection staring back at her with red swollen eyes. _This doesn't look good. I guess I cried a little _too_ much. Ok, eye drops, something, need to find something_, she muttered while rummaging through toiletries. _Ah, found some eye drops. Hopefully this will help. If it doesn't, I can always pretend to have a sudden fascination with wearing sunglasses indoors and then brilliantly it will become a fashion trend._

Luckily, the eye drops made the redness barely noticeable, and sneaking some of her mother's makeup she concealed the puffiness. She strolled as casually as she could manage down to the kitchen. Well, as casually as one could knowing they had just snuck off in the middle of the night and married a former teammate who was currently residing with the enemy of the village, and knowing that this little tidbit of information would cause a severe and violent reaction from her parents. Yeah, so her mom probably noticed something.

"You were out pretty late last night, Sakura. What were you doing?" her mother inquired.

"Training, of course," she replied with a smile. "Sorry it went so late, I ended up running into an old friend who I hadn't talked to in a while, so we were just messing around for a while." _Well, that's not completely untrue anyway. You could describe what happened that way._

"Mm-hmn." Her mother glanced over at her father, who was obliviously munching away on the breakfast in front of him while studying a scroll. "Sakura dear, I have some errands to run in town. Why don't I walk you to Hokage-sama's office?"

"Um, ok." Sakura knew better than to refuse her mother's requests. At least they came out like requests, but were more equivalent to martial law in this household. Sakura hadn't inherited her righteous aggressiveness from thin air.

"Ok then, hurry up and eat while I get changed," her mother encouraged softly. But the softer the tone, the more adamant she was. It could be downright scary. Sakura swallowed back her breakfast in 2 bites and gathered all her training scrolls quickly, not wanting to leave her mother waiting.

* * *

Out in the bright sunlit streets of Konoha, her mother started with general conversation about the weather, how her favorite shop across the street is having really good sales right now, etc. Sakura just nodded and waiting patiently for what her mother _really_ wanted to discuss. Her mother couldn't know about last night just by looking at her, could she? Mothers have strange abilities like that. 

"Sakura," her mother paused. _Oh god, here it comes_, thought a wincing Sakura. "I think you train too much."

"Huh?"

"You should be more, you know, social. I think it's great that you're so focused and have an earnest desire to become a better ninja, but when was the last time you hung out with any of your classmates just for fun? Last night, you ran into a friend you hadn't seen in a while, but instead of catching up, you just worked out together? We're planning a trip to see family soon. Why don't you take a week off from training and come with us, like you used to? I think you could use the break."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. _She doesn't know after all._ "You know I can't just take off, Mom. I'm supposed to be on-call for emergencies."

"Yes, but considering you're Hokage-sama's personal student, I think you can manage getting permission. Besides, you're the only one left of your team. Naruto's been away training for a few years, and I doubt _the other one_ is coming back anytime soon. I doubt you'll be missing any important missions if you come with us. We probably won't go for a few months yet, so you've got plenty of time to make arrangements."

'The other one'. That's how her mother always referred to Sasuke. Maybe she thought she was doing Sakura a favor by not mentioning his name, but to Sakura, that just made it sound like he had already past the point-of-no-return, and she refused to believe that. She could feel she was losing control over her emotions and that she should just keep her mouth shut and nod for the time being, but one sentence slipped out anyway.

"Training is all I have to hold onto right now and you're not taking that away!" she shrieked. It was still early, so there weren't too many people on the streets, but the ones that were immediately pretended to not notice while keenly perking up their ears.

"What do you mean that's all you have to hold on to? Sakura! Come back here!" her mother called at her figure retreating down the street. "I'm not done talking with you about this. We're going to have a serious discussion tonight, so you better come home early!" she called even louder to ensure that even if her daughter were a kilometer away she would still be able to hear.

Sakura arrived at Tsunade's office flustered and out of breath. "Whew, made it on time," she gasped as an excuse to explain her state, not wanting to go into details about the argument with her mother. She hoped Tsunade wouldn't press it, athough she did have a tendency to use her authority as hokage to "rightfully" put her nose in other people's business.

"Ready to start the morning's training?" Tsunade inquired.

Sakura nodded obediently.

"Well then, would you like to work on theory or practice today?"

"Let's practice. I have some frustration I'd like to work off," she replied, grinning despite her situation. She loved her matches with Tsunade. After fighting against her, Sakura felt she could take on either of her teammates. Of course, that thought brought to mind the origin of the frustration that her mother just added to. _What did I get myself into?_ Sakura numbly followed her teacher outside to where they usually practiced.

Both readied themselves in fighting stances. "Now remember, your objective is to dodge more than strike. As the medical-nin of the group, they're relying on you not to get hurt so you can heal their injuries."

Seeing her student nod, Tsunade immediately charged in for the attack, hoping to catch her off guard. As she reached out with a chakra-enhanced punch, Sakura gathered her own chakra into her legs and sprung above the attack at the last second. Following her student's actions, Tsunade threw a kunai in the direction Sakura had leaped, but the weapon found only a log to embed itself in. _She has gotten faster_, Tsunade bemused with a smirk.

Tsunade then gracefully lifted her left arm behind her and casually flicked her index finger to catch a charging Sakura smack in the center of her forehead. "What did I say about not worrying about striking?" Tsunade lectured. "It's not your strong point. Stick with finding holes in the opponent's attacks with that brain of yours, don't take the risk of creating your own."

"You're right, Tsunade-sama. I just thought I could make it in time."

"Was it worth the risk? Had this been a real battle, you would've been dead," she scolded, although she thought to herself, _Of course, what are the chances you'd be fighting with someone on my level. You could probably hold your own in a fight by now. A normal counter-attack would've taken longer than my finger flick, so it might have worked._

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Let's try that scenario again, but this time think of another counter-attack that puts you farther from harm's way," Tsunade instructed. They continued sparring for almost an hour when she noticed Sakura was lacking her usual concentration. Trusting her instinct not to bring up her observation with Sakura, she decided to change activity to test it herself instead.

"Ok, that's enough sparring for now. Why don't we see how your chakra capacity and focus is coming along? I think it's already past time for me to teach you this anyway."

Sakura looked on in curiosity as her teacher pulled out a large scroll. Setting it on the ground, she opened it with a dramatic flair to reveal a list of signatures made in blood.

"What's this?" Sakura questioned.

"_This_," she started with emphasis, "is the scroll for slug summons. And I want you to add your name to the list as my successor."

Sakura tried not to show how excited she was for Tsunade to acknowledge her like this. Her compliments were few and far between, but she was grateful for the harsh training. It really pushed her to grow stronger than she could have ever hoped to be. _I might even be strong enough now to help Naruto bring Sasu-…._ Sakura refused to finish that thought. _Enough about Sasuke for now_, she chided herself.

She walked over to where one of the legendary San-nin was waiting for her. "All you have to do is sign in blood, and then we'll get started with the summoning technique, ok?"

"Yup." Sakura held her breath as she bit her finger and she didn't release it until her name was completed on the scroll.

"Ok, now I want you to gather up as much chakra as you possibly can. You already have efficient control over your chakra, but even so, you're going to need every bit you can muster to do this. Now watch me first and then you give it a try," Tsunade advised. Biting her own finger, she concentrated chakra in her hand, performed the seals, and slammed her hand onto the ground, calling out "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Sakura carefully observed Tsunade's every movement. Of course, she did the seals a little slower than she normally would so Sakura could easily catch each one and put them to memory after one viewing. She jumped back slightly at the size of the summoned slug. It was HUGE!

"Good day, Tsunade-sama. What reason have you summoned me today?" spoke the slug.

"Katsuyu, this is my student Sakura. I wanted to introduce you to her since I have let her add her name to the summons scroll."

The slug turned toward the pink-haired shinobi. "Pleased to meet you. I look forward to you calling on me in the future."

"Um, nice to meet you, too. I look forward to summoning you." She felt kind of silly giving a bow to a slug, but you pretty much have to bow to anyone speaking more politely than her grandmother.

"That's all Katsuyu. Thank you for your time, and just maybe we'll be seeing you again this morning," she said with a wink toward Sakura. Katsuyu disappeared with a 'poof'.

"Ok, Sakura. You're turn. Let's see what you can do. I assume you have all the seals down and everything?"

"Of course! Well, here goes." Sakura followed exactly what Tsunade did, but the results were slightly different. "Well, it's kinda cute for an infant slug," Sakura conjectured.

Tsunade wasn't expecting wonders on her first try, but she thought Sakura was farther along than this. _I probably shouldn't be encouraging this, but if this will help motivate her…._ She glanced over at her student who stood looking rather sheepishly, one hand resting behind her head.

"Sakura, think of it this way. This summoning technique could be the difference between seeing Sasuke again or not." Tsunade observed the immediate seriousness that descended on the younger shinobi. "Ok, give it another go."

Brow furrowed, muscles taut, Sakura bit down hard on her finger and feverishly performed the seals before slamming her hand down onto the ground as it cracked beneath her.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

This time, it was the slug of all slugs who showed up.

"Katsuyu?" bemused a bemused Tsunade.

"I see you have found yourself a worthy student, Tsunade-sama."

"I have indeed." _Was that anger I saw on Sakura's face when she did that? Not exactly the feeling I expected._

* * *

It was approximately dinner time when Sakura headed for home. Tsunade was so shocked at her summoning that she gave her the rest of the day off. Normally she would be helping the hokage with office duties in exchange for the training. And normally, she would have used the free time for training, but this time she decided to just spend the afternoon lying in an isolated grassy spot with the sunshine and her thoughts as her only company. 

And as for her thoughts, she had let all the ones about Sasuke flow freely.

But now, it was time to bottle up that part of her again. And she had other things to worry about, namely her mother had said she wanted a 'serious discussion' with her tonight.

"Mom, I'm home," Sakura called tentatively.

"Sakura-chan! I'm so glad you could make it for dinner. I'm preparing your favorite meal!"

This did not look good. "Look, Mom, I'm sorry about this morning. I was just stressed out. Like you said, too much training. You'll be happy to know I took the afternoon off to just relax. And I'll try to come home for dinner more often, ok? So don't worry so much, I'll take your advice."

"Well, that's good to know, that you finally realized that your mother always knows best. But that's not what I wanted to discuss tonight. But let's eat dinner first." Her mother motioned to the dining room. "Your father's waiting."

After the meal, Sakura helped her mother with the dishes while her father visited with her grandparents. Shortly after they had gotten into the rhythm of washing and drying, her mother finally spoke up.

_(Track 3)_  
"Sakura, what did you mean the only thing you had to hold onto was training?"

"I don't know what I meant. I was just upset," Sakura replied vaguely.

"It has something to do with Sasuke-san, doesn't it? Don't think I haven't noticed how you changed after he left." She paused to contemplate. "No, wait, it started during your first Chuunin exam."

Sakura stared, mouth agape at her mother.

"Come on, Sakura. It wasn't that hard to figure out. You've been saying he's your crush since I can't remember when, and then you wouldn't even come down for meals when he was missing from the hospital – don't look at me that way, just because I'm not a shinobi doesn't mean I know nothing about what goes on in the village. Really." Her mother handed her a bowl to dry while she continued. "And then it was after Sasuke-san left that I knew it was serious because then you acted like everything was fine."

Mother and daughter washed and dried for a few minutes in silence.

Finally, Sakura worked up the nerve to speak. "Mom, I just don't know how to explain it. When he left…when he left…it was like the world suddenly didn't make sense anymore. I knew what it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei, and me. We're a team. I tried to say everything I could think of to convince him to stay," the words started pouring out, "but it just wasn't enough. I guess I wasn't enough. I wasn't strong enough to stop him from leaving, and I wasn't good enough to be a reason for him to stay." Sakura looked down to see her tears collecting in the bowl she had just dried. "He always seemed to see us as burdens, we were just slowing him down. Toward the end, though, it seemed he finally saw us as comrades, as people he shared something with. But it wasn't enough, because then his older brother showed up and I knew he was going to leave. Just when he was warming up to us, that's when he left to find another way to become stronger. We were just in the way again. I thought maybe if I became really strong…I don't know what I thought. I just wanted to _do_ something," she choked out. "I couldn't convince him to stay," she whimpered.

Her mother stopped and put her arm around her daughter. "This wasn't your fault. I know, it may feel that way to you, but I'm sure he would have made the same decision regardless of who tried to convince him to stay." She watched her daughter continue to sob uncontrollably. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but neither one of us has been through what he has, and I'm sure he had _some_ reason that drove him to leave like that, whether it was a good or bad one. But whatever the reason, it wasn't your fault. All you can do now is hope, for his sake."

She looked down to see Sakura wiping away her tears. _Does she really still care about him this much after 2 years?_ Her mother added, "Of course, _my_ hope is that you'll be able to forget about him soon and find someone who will always be there for you."

Sakura saw her mother stare expectantly down at her. "Well, I at least want to wait and see how things will be if he does come back to Konoha…" her mother just kept staring. "Ok, ok. I promise I'll keep an open mind to other possibilities. There, is that good enough?"

"You mean it?"

"Yes, yes, I promise."

"Ok then, because you know I'm only looking out for what's best for my one and only daughter," her mother joked with a small smile. "But seriously, I want you to stop worrying about Sasuke-san so much and think about what's best for you. Now go on ahead and do what you want, I'll finish up here."

"Thanks, Mom!" Sakura called while running up the steps to her room. She stopped at the top to say, "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me, too."

Sakura proceeded to her room to study some scrolls before going to bed.


	4. Chapter 4 Home

Disclaimer: Naruto was created by Kishimoto, alas not me.

_(Track 4)_

**_Chapter 4: Home_**

A few months later.

"Hey! Sakura!"

Sakura turned around to see Ino trying to catch up with her. "Hey, stranger!" she called back. She was on her way home for the evening. "What's up?" They still aren't nearly as close of friends as they were before their 'rivalry', but ever since the prelims of the Chuunin exam they've hung out together, on good terms, every so often. Ino's mostly been busy training and going on missions with her team, while Sakura has spent most of her time training with Tsunade.

"Chouji, Shikamaru, and I are going to grab some BBQ for dinner, want to join us?"

"Um, sure! Let me just run home and ask my mom."

"I'll come with you," she offered. So the pair walked off together in the direction of Sakura's apartment.

* * *

Before Ino had interrupted her thoughts, Sakura had been mentally running through all that's happened between her and Sasuke since they got married. He had visited 3 more times since that first night, and while things have gone more smoothly in a certain department, he has barely said more than 2 words to her each time. It's always he stops by her room, they meet at the tree, do their thing, and then 'I'll probably be back in a few weeks. See you then,' as he leaves. 

Sakura sighed at the thought. She did think that their time 'together' last night was different somehow. He didn't do or say anything different, just the same routine as the previous 2 times, but it was almost as if his demeanor had changed slightly. Or, maybe a better way to put it is he didn't act quite so detached. Sakura thought she had caught the smallest hint of affection from him, although, it might have just been hormones.

_What am I doing? _Sakura thought to herself. _It sounds like I only care about what Sasuke thinks and feels. Maybe my mom is right, and I should worry more about myself. Everything I've done has always been related to him, and what has it got me? Well, obviously a marriage, but it's not a very satisfying one, that's for sure. Do I regret agreeing to it in the first place?_

She didn't come up with an answer for that question, so she came up with a question she could answer,_ Am I satisfied living my life only trying to please others, Sasuke in particular? No, I think it's time for a little change. Of course, I still want him back, as in back in Konoha and a part of our team where he belongs – I won't give up on that. But this is killing me being so focused on him all the time when he's hardly around, not to mention getting so little in return even when he is here. I will still do everything I can for him, but that doesn't mean it has to be the whole of who I am anymore._

It was at that point in her thoughts that she heard Ino calling her name. Having dinner out with friends sounded like it'd be a fun time, so she made a conscious decision to go.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me go, Mom." Sakura and Ino stood in the doorway of Sakura's apartment, ready to depart for the restaurant. 

"Of course I'll let you. I'm just glad to see you being social for once. You'll never get a boyfriend if you don't do anything but train all the time," her mother counseled.

"Stop it, Mom. You can be so embarrassing."

"That's what mothers are for. Anyway, it's good to see you, Ino. You're welcome over any time you want for dinner."

"Thanks Mrs. Haruno. I'll ask my mom about sometime next week. See you later!" Ino called as she started to walk down the hall.

"Bye, Mom. I'll probably just be gone for a few hours."

"No hurry. Just remember to have fun while you're out."

"Mom!" Sakura wined.

"Ok, ok, I'm going back inside and leaving you alone," she conceded. Her mother smiled as the two girls walked away, chatting cheerfully with each other. It was good to see her daughter laughing again.

* * *

Everything went smoothly at dinner, except for having to fight Chouji for a fair share of the food and Ino trying to hide her irritation due to Shikamaru's absence and his excuses of Chuunin exam tasks. 

Not wanting the fun to end, Sakura decided to walk home with Ino before returning herself. Stretching her arms above her head, Sakura commented, "That was a lot of fun. We should do that more often."

"Yeah, we really should. It'd be nice to have a girl to talk to for a change. Guys are great, but you can't really chat with them about stuff outside the realm of ninjitsu," Ino chuckled.

"Amen to that. Speaking of which, I wanted to get your opinion on something."

"Shoot."

"Do you think I should cut my hair short? I've had it long for a while now, I just feel like it's time for a change."

"Yeah, I really liked your hair when you cut it in the Forest of Death."

They both paused in the conversation at the awkward reference to the past.

Clearing her throat, Ino continued. "What I meant was, I think you look grown up with short hair. You could try putting in some layers and curling them out. I saw that on a poster, and I bet it'd look really cute on you."

"You're sure you're not just saying this because of 'the rumor', and this is your attempt at getting rid of some of the competition?" Sakura joked.

"Huh? Rumor?" Ino put her finger to her chin and thought for a few minutes. "Oh! You're talking about that time when someone spread around the rumor that Sasuke liked girls with long hair! Haha, I can't believe how gullible we were back then! Haha, but no. No ulterior motives, I promise." She even lifted her hand as a sign of swearing the truth.

Although Sakura was the one who started the joke, Ino noticed she dropped her smile slightly at the mention of her former teammate. "Hey, are you ok? I mean, dealing with Sasuke's absence and all. I know how much he meant to you, being part of your team and all. Forget past rivalries, if you need to talk, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah."

Ino gave Sakura a squeeze. "You don't have to say anything now. But whenever you need a friend."

Sakura desperately wanted to tell Ino everything. Not just about how she was feeling, but everything about the marriage and their relationship. Well, maybe not _everything_. Some things should definitely remain private. She really needed someone to talk to about it, though, so she wouldn't feel so crazy all the time. Somehow even things like what she was currently enduring seemed to make more sense when you had a girl to share it with. But, she had made a promise to him, so she swallowed the urge and changed the subject. "So what's up with Shikamaru?"

Ino's face scrunched up at the comment. "I know, he's always _so_ busy with the Chuunin exam stuff all the time! I bet it's really that girl from the Sand. She's in town right now, you know. He probably likes her or something, so he blows us off for her instead."

"I think you might be jumping to conclusions. Shikamaru doesn't seem to be the type to put effort toward _any_ girl," she consoled. "I'm sure he still cares about you guys."

"Yeah, maybe."

They had reached Ino's home.

"Well, I guess maybe I'll see you sometime next week for dinner. I definitely don't want to get on your mom's bad side by ignoring her invite."

"Yeah, tell me about it. It'll be fun, though," Sakura assured.

"Ok, well, good night."

"Good night, Ino."

Ino opened the door and stopped. "I really think a short haircut would look good on you."

Sakura smiled to acknowledge her recommendation as she waved good bye and turned to go home.

* * *

A few weeks after that. 

"Sakura."

"Yes?" she responded to Tsunade.

"That Naruto kid, it seems like he's returned to Konoha," she informed with a smile. It appeared even Godaime Hokage was eager to see the brat again.

As the pair walked out into the street in search of him him, a millions thoughts raced through Sakura's mind. She was desperate to see how much Naruto had grown, how strong he had become.

Assuming Naruto's feelings on the subject hadn't changed, she was aching to tell him about Sasuke. How he had returned to her at least, so there was hope he wasn't completely lost to them.

"AHHHH! Sa-Sakura-chan?" brought Sakura out of her contemplations.

She turned around to look behind her. "Eh? Naruto!" she pointed in shock.

* * *

They didn't have long to catch up, though, before Kakashi-sensei cheerfully called for a repeat of the bell training (of course, that wasn't until after Sakura got in a good punch on Naruto for being perverted). This time however, the bell training would last overnight, and they eagerly lived up to the challenge. They had the next day off before being assigned their first mission as a team again, and it was that night that Sakura heard a familiar tap at her balcony window. 

_Ah, there's Sasuke._ Sakura opened her window to find a Naruto.

"Naruto! What are you doing here? You do know what time it is, don't you? And at my bedroom window?"

"That's why I'm _at_ your window. Because it's so late. I didn't want to wake your parents. See, Sakura-chan, I was thinking ahead!"

"Not so loud!" Sakura hushed. "And what do you want anyway since you already woke me up?"

"Huh? Oh, I just stopped by to see if you were excited about our first mission tomorrow," he replied in a quieter but still excited voice. "I hope it's an awesome one, very dangerous."

Sakura yawned. "That's what you came here for? Well, you know Tsunade-sama will probably start us off with just a small mission, such as a standard escort or some kind of delivery, so go home and try to contain your excitement," she ordered sternly.

Naruto sulked in response, but wished Sakura good night before hesitatingly heading on his way. Sakura lay back down in her bed and was just about to fall back to sleep when she heard another tap at her window.

"I swear, if Naruto doesn't keep his endless supply of energy to himself, I'm going to punch him home from here," she muttered under her breath as she pushed off her covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed a second time. Opening her window, she started, "Naruto, I don't know what could be so import…oh, Sasuke-kun. It's you."

Not exactly the greeting he was expecting, but he quickly recovered. "Let's go." And with that, he leapt off her balcony and back into the night.

"Wait!" Sakura tried to call, but he was already out of ear shot. "Crap. He won't be happy, but I guess I'll just have to explain it there," she spoke to herself. She jumped off the balcony and made her way to the usual meeting place.

When Sasuke caught sight of Sakura, he immediately started taking off his shirt until he noticed something. "Sakura, why didn't you bring the blankets?" Sasuke questioned when she arrived.

"That's what I was trying to tell you. I'm on my period. And I don't care how much you insist, the answer is no." Apparently PMS helped her in her resolve to stand up for herself at least a little.

"I wouldn't have asked. That's gross," he replied as he put his shirt back on.

"Um, good." So much for standing up to him.

"So, uh, how long do these things last?" he questioned, a light blush tinting his cheeks. _Why does talking about this kind of stuff have to be so damn awkward?_

"About a week. I should be done in a few days."

"I see. Well, I might be able to stop by again in a week or so. See you-"

"NO!" Sakura interrupted. "You're not just leaving. Ok, so we can't have sex. But you said this was a real marriage, and guess what, married people _talk_ to each other. So since I already came out here to meet you, you're going to stay, and we're going to talk." Sakura hated how emotional she got this time of the month, but in this case, she was grateful to not particularly care how Sasuke would react at the moment.

Sasuke didn't know what to make of Sakura's defiant attitude. Of course, thus far she had gone along willingly with all of the terms of the marriage he had set without question, so he supposed it wouldn't hurt to do this for her. "Fine." He sat down on the ground and leaned back on his hands.

"Eh? You mean you will? Wow, ok, wasn't expecting that." She sat down next to him, knees pulled up to her chin. "So….uh, how have you been?"

"Can we not talk about me?"

"Ok….what do you want to talk about then?"

"Um, I don't know. You think of something. This was your idea, you know."

Sakura twirled her hair for a minute. "Do you want to know about the team?"

"Sure," he replied in a manner that showed he really wasn't interested. "Tell me about Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."

"Actually," she started, pausing to think, "I couldn't really tell you anything about either of them. Naruto just got back yesterday, and since I was the only one left in Konoha, I didn't see much of Kakashi-sensei due to a lack of a team. In fact, I've probably seen you more often than I've seen them."

"Then why'd you suggest it?"

"I don't know, I couldn't think of anything else. Last night Naruto and I did the bell training with Kakashi-sensei again, though," she said with a smile. "That was fun."

"Did you get a bell?"

"Of course! We both did together, although we had to fall back on a cheap trick. So we didn't exactly defeat him with your standard set of jutsu."

"I see."

"But we've actually improved. Honest."

"Sure."

"You don't believe me?"

"Huh?" Sasuke got lost in the conversation. _When did this turn back on me? I was just agreeing with her the whole time._ "I'm sure you've improved after 2 and a half years."

"You don't believe me." This time it wasn't a question. She lifted her head up to stare him straight in the face.

"I just said I did. What do you want from me?"

_Ok, Sakura. Calm down. Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Let's just deal with this rationally._ "Do you need to spar with me or something for me to prove it?" she challenged instead of being rational. "You know, it's not like I've done nothing. Ever since you left I've done nothing _but_ training. I'm sorry if I'm not a natural-born genius like _some_ ninja here, but I've been working hard and I think you need to appreciate that!"

"Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm just upset that you assume I'm still at the same level as when you left!" she yelled back, leaning in slightly.

"_You're_ the one assuming here. I never said that at all!" he yelled back, sitting up straight so he was close to her face. Now even Sasuke was starting to get a little bothered. "You want to fight? Then let's fight so that you can let this go and then we can drop the subject."

"Ok!" Sakura jumped up cheerfully. "After you," Sakura offered.

_I really don't get girls._ Sasuke walked out from under the tree and turned to face Sakura.

Sakura put her finger to her chin in a contemplative fashion. "Now, we don't want to draw any attention because we're not _that_ far from the village, and we probably shouldn't leave any signs of damage. So I think it's best if during the fight we stick to just taijutsu. No weapons, either."

"Fine with me."

"You can still use your sharingan if you like," she offered.

"Sure, whatever. Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready. Go ahead."

"This was your idea, why don't you make the first attack?"

"Why do I have to? Why don't you?"

An extremely annoyed expression appeared on Sasuke's face. With a grunt of frustration, he charged in to throw a basic punch in her direction. His eyes widened in surprise when she didn't make any moves to dodge or block his attack. He must have attacked too fast, but it was too late to pull the punch back as it landed smack into her…bunshin? _When did she do that?_ he wondered.

From the smoke cloud of the disappearing clone lunged a punch-readied Sakura. Sasuke reacted in time to only be grazed by her punch. However, that was enough to send him flying through the forest.

_Crap!_ Sakura thought as she saw him soaring headfirst toward a rock and took off sprinting past him to catch him before he would crash into it. Molding chakra in her feet, she ran up the rock and protruded horizontally from it, ready for the impact, when she looked up just in time to see he had twisted himself around and his feet were ready to collide with her face. She should have known he could handle himself, but it was too late to think about that now, and it was too late to dodge; all she could do was crouch down and fling her arms up in defense. But Sasuke had caught what she had done and threw his arms down to slide his hands along the ground, which enabled him to change his momentum and propel his legs up in the air in time to miss kicking his wife in the face. He slid to a halt centimeters from her in a handstand position.

After a few seconds and no impact, Sakura slowly opened one pale green eye, and then the other when she saw that instead of his feet colliding into her, his stomach was stopped right in front of her. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped down from the rock as he righted himself. Her relief didn't last long, though, when she saw blood running down both his hands.

"Here let me take care of that for you," she offered, pointing to his hands. Sasuke presented them to her. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have realized you didn't need my help," she apologized while pulling out some medical supplies she had on her to clean the wounds before healing them. She always carried her supplies and weapons in case they were ever discovered. "But after you fell for the bunshin and failed to completely dodge my punch, I thought maybe you weren't as good as I remembered. It's a good thing I pulled the punch as much as I did," Sakura rambled.

"That wasn't full force!" exclaimed a shocked Sasuke. His hands stung, but not too bad. "So uh, when did you create the clone, by the way?" he tried to ask casually.

Sakura giggled a little. "When you walked out from under the tree in front of me. I was still under there the whole time until I jumped out with the punch." She finished cleaning up the blood and started applying medical jutsu. "I thought I might be able to pull it off if you didn't use your sharingan. That's why I offered for you to use it. I figured you purposely wouldn't use it out of pride. I still didn't think I had much chance of success, though, but I guess it worked."

"It only worked because I wasn't expecting you to do something like that," he defended. "You said taijutsu only, and bunshin is ninjutsu. Hey, when did you learn how to do that?" he asked referring to the healing jutsu.

"I said _during_ the fight to only use taijutsu. I made the clone before the fight started. It's not my fault you didn't think to make preparations. Besides, as a ninja, you should always be ready for anything," she countered. "And I'm a medical-nin now," she added in response to his question.

"Fine, but that was obviously a chakra-enhanced punch, and I wouldn't necessarily categorize that as _strictly_ taijutsu either."

"That's simply chakra control, it doesn't change the classification."

"Whatever."

"You're done."

"What?"

"Your hands. They should be healed now. Do they still hurt?"

"No, they're fine now. Um, thanks."

"Well, it was the least I could do since you got injured on account of me."

"Yeah."

"That was still cheap, with the clone."

"Yeah, I guess it was, wasn't it? Hehe."

"That's definitely something like what Naruto would have pulled." He smiled as he said that.

"Hey! Don't compare me to that pervert," she scoffed.

"Pervert? What did he do?"

"Well, actually I don't know what he was going to do. I punched him before he had the chance to do it."

They both looked at each other and laughed. "Some things haven't changed at all, have they?" Sasuke commented.

"Some things have changed. You know, Sasuke-"

"So do you still want to have that fight? This time I'll set the rules. Taijutsu and genjutsu allowed, along with any non-destructive ninjutsu like kawarimi and bunshin. Oh, and no smashing through anything with your _chakra-enhanced_ taijutsu. That's just as bad for leaving damage. Now we'll see how well you hold up," he challenged, almost playfully.

"Ok, but I don't want to hear any whining from you this time," she responded playfully.

"I was NOT whining."

"Of course you weren't. So are you going to start or what?"

"Oh, you're going to get it this time," he warned as he charged in and kicked a log. _Damn, she's fast with kawarimi. I can't follow it without using my sharingan._

He easily dodged her punch and followed in with a counter. Apparently not paying enough attention to her surroundings, Sakura tripped over something as she was pushed back and, losing her balance, fell to the ground. _Funny, I didn't think there was anything behind me._ Not wanting to go down peacefully, she swung her leg around to sweep his legs out from under him, but when she connected it felt like hitting a rock. _Ah, he must have used genjutsu._ "Kai!" she called out to release herself from the illusion. _Yup, I just tried to sweep a rock. Good thing I know medical jutsu, otherwise that would have left a very noticeable mark in the morning._

She jumped up and looked around, her eyes searching for him among the trees. Not seeing any signs, she started to think that maybe he had just decided to leave when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. He flew in quickly at her and arced in a punch for her stomach with his left fist, but she effortlessly caught the angle with her left hand. Throwing his right fist over top his left arm, he had no hope of getting it past her right hand. He then smirked as he launched himself in the air. Since his arms were crossed, he easily rotated his body, and since her hands were previously occupied blocking his punches, there was no resistance for him to wrap his legs around her neck. Taking advantage of her surprise, he freed his hands so he could use the ground as leverage to flip her onto her back.

Quickly getting up onto his knees, he pulled her up into a chokehold with one arm and locked up her arms with the other. "There. So what are you going to do now?"

"This," she replied as she demonstrated her flexibility by swinging her leg up and hooking it around his neck to try to force him down to the ground. Unfortunately, he had a tight grip on her and she ended up only get her leg stuck. Had this been a real fight, of course, she would have just taken his head off with a chakra-boosted swing of her leg, but she certainly didn't want to decapitate her husband.

She sighed as she did the only thing she could think of to get out of the awkward position. With her arms locked behind her back, she reached out with her fingers in search of a ticklish spot on his stomach. And then what started out as a serious fight turned into half an hour of playful grappling with the full arsenal of tickling, hair pulling, and biting.

"Ow, ow! Ok, ok, I give up," Sakura pleaded as Sasuke found a particularly ticklish spot while having a firm grip on her hair. "I said I give up already!"

"So you agree that I win?"

"Yes, yes. You won. Please, it hurts from laughing so much," she begged.

"All right then," he relented his hold with a triumphant smile.

"Whew. That was fun, even though I lost," she commented.

"Yeah…well, I've been here a while, I should get back. I probably won't stop by again for a few weeks. See you then." And he was suddenly gone.

Sakura sighed as she stood up to return home as well. _At least, he's not _completely_ cold-hearted_, she thought_. He even laughed. Still, he disappears so abruptly. I'll have to do something about that next time._ Yawning on her way back, she hoped she wouldn't be too tired for tomorrow's assignment. At least it should be an easy one.


	5. Chapter 5 Split Second Decisions

Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Naruto, believe it.

_(Track 5)_

_**Chapter 5 Split-Second Decisions**_

In contradiction to Sakura's preconceived notions, Team 7 was assigned a real mission. The kazekage had been kidnapped, and it was their duty to travel to the Sand village and report back.

The battles were over now, though. First, Kakashi's and Gai's teams had been delayed from rescuing Gaara in time by clones of Itachi and Kisame, respectively. Shukaku had been removed; however, Gaara's life was still saved by Chiyo-baa, a skilled puppeteer and medic-nin of the Sand. Before they had gotten to Gaara, though, Sakura and the older woman had teamed up and killed Sasori, one of the members of Akatsuki, who also happened to be a puppeteer and Chiyo-baa's grandson. Naruto and Kakashi, who were later joined by Gai's team, were able to defeat another Akatsuki member, Deidara, but he had managed to escape by leaving behind a massive exploding clone. Fortunately, Kakashi was able to use his new sharingan abilities to send the clone to another dimension and spare doubtless injuries.

And now everyone sat around a campfire after dinner on the first of their 3-day return trip back to Konoha. All the younger ninjas chatted amongst themselves, except for Sakura, who contemplated what she should do with the information she had gained from these battles.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Why don't you come over and join us over here?"

Sakura looked up when she heard Naruto call over to her. "Sure! What are you guys talking about?" She lowered herself to the ground between her teammate and Lee, and across from Neji and Tenten. She hadn't really hung out with Neji or Tenten over the years, but she had spent a little time training with Lee from time to time. Sakura wasn't sure if he still had a crush on her after all this time, but he was always a good friend to her.

"Hey, Sakura, is it true?" piped up a curious Tenten. "Did you really defeat a member of Akatsuki?"

"Yeah, with Chiyo-baa-san's help. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone, and we probably only managed it because she was his grandmother and knew his weaknesses. Also, I would have been a goner had she not healed me."

"Her grandson was a member of Akatsuki?" exclaimed Naruto loudly beside her.

"Yes, but she still killed him." She paused before adding solemnly, "I'm not sure if I could've done the same."

"Still, it's amazing," Neji commented. "Who would have thought someone who started out like you could compete with such a high level ninja." This was immediately followed by an elbow to the stomach by Tenten. "Hey, I meant it as a compliment, honest. I'm just saying she's improved a lot, geez!"

"I wish I would have had the chance to test out my skills against a member of Akatsuki. Instead, we were all stuck fighting clones of ourselves," grumbled Lee.

"Now that's YOUTH!" chimed in Gai, who no one even realized was listening. Last they noticed he was deep in conversation with the desperately trying to rest Kakashi.

"Osu!" responded Lee, who suddenly stood up in a saluting position in his usual exuberant fashion.

_They can be just downright frightening_, thought Sakura.

"Hey, fuzzy brows! Why don't you sit back down and let us resume the conversation?" yelled Naruto.

"Right," Lee answered and quickly sat back down. Gai resumed disturbing Kakashi's attempts to rest.

Clearing her throat, Sakura continued where they had left off. "You know, it was partly due to seeing all of you guys fighting in the Chuunin exam that helped push me to train really hard. I guess I didn't want to be left behind anymore."

In response to the comment, Neji smirked, Tenten beamed proudly, Naruto congratulated himself, and Lee's eyes welled up with tears. From seeing their reactions, Sakura added, "Especially you two. Naruto, you really showed everyone that you were someone to take seriously, and Lee, thank you again for saving me from the Sound-nins. Both of you really inspired me to see what I was capable of, so I could protect my teammates instead of always being the one needing saving."

Neji groaned in disgust as Lee started whooping for joy while doing cartwheels around the camp.

After about another half hour of chatting, one by one, they each started turning in for the night for the few days of travel they had left.

For Sakura, though, whether she was asleep or still lying awake, her memory of the night she couldn't stop Sasuke from leaving Konoha replayed agonizingly over and over in her mind.

* * *

Heaving a sigh at finally being home again, Sakura dropped her pack on the floor. She'll unpack everything later. It was late, but she hoped there'd be some dinner leftovers in the fridge. She had stopped by earlier just to let her parents know she was back before tending to Kakashi in the hospital. She wasn't sure what time her parents were leaving the next morning for their trip to Setagaya to visit relatives, so she wanted to catch them before they went to bed in case she didn't get a chance before they left. As a ninja, she never knew when she might not return from a mission. Especially a mission like the next one she hoped to be assigned to. 

Rummaging through the contents of the refrigerator, Sakura happened upon some leftover noodles. Heating them up and adding some vegetables, she sat down at the table to eat alone.

_So now what am I going to do about the meeting with the spy Sasori has among Orochimaru's men?_ Sakura thought as she scooped up a mouthful. She mulled over the illogic of being married to Sasuke and being visited by him, yet still desperately seeking clues as to where he's residing with Orochimaru as if he had never come back at all.

She swallowed as she absorbed the glaring contradiction. _But whether I want to accept it or not, he's been living with the Sound, and, despite the fact that he came back and asked me to marry him, he may still feel more loyal to them than to Konoha. Obviously if he wanted to return, he would have just stayed by now. I had wanted to be strong to rescue him, but now it seems it'd just be physically forcing him to return against his will. I thought maybe consenting to marriage would have been enough to convince him to come back, but he acts so distant, as if he's not affected by this at all. If only I could get him to open up a bit. But who am I kidding? He's never going to change, he's too focused on revenge. I was an idiot for thinking I could change him. But I really hate feeling so helpless!_

She slammed her fists down on the table in frustration, then immediately listened for any indication that she might have woken her parents. When she didn't hear any noise from upstairs, she continued to eat numbly for a few minutes. Having lost her appetite, though, she quickly cleaned up and put back the food she didn't finish. Sneaking quietly up to her room, she quickly showered, hoping the running water wouldn't disturb her parents too much, although they were probably used to her taking showers after training late. Feeling somewhat refreshed, she brushed her teeth, and changed into pajamas before gratefully climbing into her own bed.

But even though her body was exhausted, her mind wasn't ready to shut down just yet. _Should I report to Tsunade about Sasori's spy or not? No one would know if I didn't say anything. Sasuke-kun probably would want me to keep quiet about it. I'm sure he'd prefer we didn't try looking for him. As his wife, I should respect his wishes. But then as a ninja I still have a duty to Konoha to report anything on S-criminals like Orochimaru. And I do want to find Orochimaru and capture him, kill him, something, so that Sasuke would come back here. Trying anything has to be better than doing nothing._

Sakura yawned as she turned over and pulled her covers up a little more. _Well, whatever I decide, I have to make up my mind tonight. I can't exactly decide 2 days from now to report the information about the spy. I'd have to do it first thing tomorrow morning if I'm going to do it at all._

Her mind continued to argue in circles with itself until she heard someone softly tap at her window. _It couldn't be, it's only been about a week,_ she thought. She got up out of bed and somewhat nervously reached to open the window.

Sasuke quickly entered her room and anxiously looked around the room as if he was searching for something before finally resting his eyes on Sakura. "Are you ok to meet tonight?" he asked bluntly.

"Um, yeah. I'm a little tired from traveling and such, but that's fine."

"Hn." That was his indication for him to follow. Right before he leapt from the balcony, though, he stopped. "I already grabbed the blankets," he explained as he pushed back the cloak to show her as well, "so just follow me."

_That's odd. I wonder why he took the risk to grab them himself?_ Sakura took off after him.

They traveled in silence until they had passed over the wall separating Konoha from the forests surrounding it. Eventually, Sasuke spoke up. "So, did you just get back from a mission?"

"Yeah, you certainly have good timing." A little too good. She was suspicious, but didn't know if it was wise to press the issue.

"Where did you go?"

"Why do you need to know?" she challenged. Well, at least she knew why he grabbed the blankets ahead of time. He had somehow heard something about the mission, or he was ordered by Orochimaru to interrogate her, but he still wanted to leave enough time for….

"Just tell me," he demanded.

"Why should I? Since when do ninjas reveal the details of their missions to outsiders?" That came out a little harsher than she intended.

"I'm not an outsider, I'm your husband," he corrected abrasively.

"A husband who belongs to the Sound village," she pointed out, "the current enemy of the village I'm a ninja of." Ouch. She winced slightly at her own cruel words. "Besides, how do I know you aren't just going to turn around and tell Orochimaru everything? And then that'll make me a traitor to Konoha."

"You mean a traitor like me?"

"I didn't say that."

"I think it was pretty obvious. Is that how you see me?"

"No…."

"Very convincing, Sakura. Why don't you just turn me in now if I'm so untrustworthy?"

"Because…because that was part of the agreement," she replied meekly. "I gave my word, and I'll keep it."

"Then what if I gave my word?" He stopped so he could read her expression.

Coming to a halt on the branch next to him, she stared straight right back at him, looking for a sign, some kind of indication that he was being earnest. She wanted to believe him; she hated not being able to trust him. In fact, she hated the whole situation as it was.

He kept staring into her eyes. She wanted to believe him. With all her heart, she wanted to believe him.

She relented, "We were sent to the Sand village to check out the kazekage's kidnapping." He just kept staring. "Two Akatsuki members attacked the village and one of them managed to kidnap Gaara-sama."

"Wait," Sasuke held up his hand to interrupt. "Gaara's the kazekage now?"

"Yes, the 5th, I believe."

"Right. Well, keep talking, but let's keep moving."

Sakura continued to explain about Akatsuki trying to capture all the tailed beasts, and how Gaara had died from the process, but an older woman from the Sand revived him with a jutsu she had developed. It was at that point that they had arrived at their usual spot. Sasuke motioned for her to go before him under the tree.

"So, did you run into any Akatsuki members yourself?" he questioned as he laid out the blankets.

"Just two." Well, they hadn't _technically_ met Itachi, it was just a clone of him. "I and the older woman fought one, while Kakashi-sensei and Naruto chased the other."

"And…?"

"And…we defeated him, but the one they were fighting managed to escape."

"Wait, you beat a member of Akatsuki?" he questioned incredulously.

"Not by myself, no."

"But you actually fought."

"Yes."

"And you weren't immediately killed?"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. No, I'm no powerhouse like you and Naruto, but I'm not nothing either."

"That's not what I meant. I just meant, a member of Akatsuki, they're just _really_ strong and-"

"_And_, with the help of his grandmother, we already knew his weaknesses and were able to counter his attacks. Although, even then, it ultimately came down to him leaving us an opening." Despite her great victory, she was already starting to feel so small next to her teammate again.

"Well, good for you." Sasuke wasn't sure what to say. _Has she really become _that_ strong? If she could accomplish that in Konoha, I wonder if I could have…._

_At least he seems to be satisfied with only general details_, she thought. _If this had been an order from Orochimaru, he definitely would have pressed for more specific information. At least, I think he would have._ "So.…should we get started?" Sakura started getting undressed, and Sasuke did the same.

Then, Sasuke stepped in close to her, tracing his fingers down her back, and running into the scar from Sasori's sword. Stopping, he inquired, "What's this?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a scar from the battle with the Akatsuki member."

"Wait," he interrupted, his eyes scanning her meticulously for further signs of injuries, "you have a scar at the same height on your stomach, too."

"I got run through with a poisoned sword," she tried to explain as casually as she could.

"You could've mentioned that, you know. Are you ok? Did it hurt a lot?"

Taking a step back from his scrutiny, she responded, "It's not like I'm a child you know. Yes, it hurt, but I never stopped fighting. I'm sorry I have ugly scars now, I'm sure they'll fade over time, if that's what you're worried about."

"Sorry. That's not what…I didn't mean to insult you. I was just being concerned."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so, uh, let's get back to, you know," he gestured awkwardly.

_It's now or never_, she thought to herself. She decided that this time she would be the one to take control of their 'time together'.

* * *

After they were finished, Sakura didn't move from her position on top of him, but just laid her head on his chest. She was definitely too content to want to budge. 

"So, was it good for you?" she asked jokingly.

Sasuke only let out a short chuckle as he lazily raised his left arm to rest it on top of her head, playing with her pink locks slightly, obviously agreeing with the question.

"It's too bad you didn't stop by later. My family's leaving in the morning. They're going to be out of town for a couple weeks, so we could just stay at my place instead of coming all the way out here, not to mention being a little more comfortable."

"Oh."

"Of course, I'll probably be out on a mission again in a day or so, so maybe it is good you came tonight."

"I see." Followed by silence. Sasuke continued to distractedly stroke her hair while Sakura peacefully immersed herself in the intimacy of the moment. Clearing his throat, he finally broke the silence with, "Um, I like your new haircut, by the way. I never told you that last time. It, um, really suits you."

"Thanks." She had been wondering if he had noticed the humongous change.

"So…why did you do that?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Do what? Cut my hair?"

"No, I mean…before. What you did…you know…us…."

"Oh, _that_," she confirmed. She lifted her head to face him and put on the brightest smile she could manage. "Doesn't hurt to make the best out of a situation, right?"

Turning back to his usual serious self, he warned, "Don't make this out to be more than it is. Don't think this will change my mind and have me running back to Konoha. I made my decision."

"I know," she replied softly. After a short period of silence, she desperately wanted to ask, 'Why did you come back? Why me, why this?' But instead, she lifted her head to look into his face. "I'm only going to say this once, so please just hear me out and I won't bother you about it again, ok?"

She paused to give him a chance to nod before continuing. Laying her head back down on his chest, she confessed, "You know, Naruto and I still want you to come back. We don't blame you for leaving - we know it's about your brother." She felt him stiffen beneath her at the reference. "But, couldn't you have stayed with us? You could have become strong under Kakashi-sensei's training, I think. And I can't speak for Naruto, but I'm pretty sure he would also have agreed if you had asked us to help you. I don't think revenge will accomplish what you think, but if you're set on it, I'd rather help you than be left behind. And besides, he is an S-ranked criminal of Konoha, so it is our duty to stop him." She looked up at him expectantly.

Instead of responding, though, Sasuke sat up, forcing Sakura off of him, and proceeded to get dressed. Sakura was astounded at his callousness. _Just when he seemed to be more open, to close back up so suddenly. _Before she could think about regretting it, she decided to just go ahead and throw it out there and see what happens.

"We ran into Itachi on the way, you know."

Sasuke stopped. "What…?" his voice already starting to rise.

_His eyes are so intense!_ She rambled, "It wasn't him exactly, but some sort of clone of him using another person's body. He showed up to delay us from rescuing Gaara before they could extract the tailed beast. Anyway, we ran into him. I just thought maybe you'd want to know."

Sasuke rushed over to her and grabbed her hard by the shoulders, almost making her drop the blanket she had wrapped around her to keep some sense of decency. "Why didn't you tell me that before!" he growled at her.

"Well, I wasn't sure how you were going to take it," she defended.

Almost as if he couldn't hear what she was saying, Sasuke continued, "You could have been killed! He's not someone to mess with. You need to stay away from him!" he ordered.

"Well, it's not like I had much choice; it was the mission we were assigned to. It's not like we searched him out, he found us."

"Give me all the details. What was his condition? Did he hurt you?"

Her concern growing at his increased agitation, she told him everything that came to mind in hopes of quelling his rising aggression. "Um, Kakashi-sensei mentioned something about his eyesight deteriorating. He didn't do…um, what did Kakashi-sensei call it again…mangekyou, I think it was. But he was still able to capture Naruto in genjutsu using only one finger. Let's see, after we released him from the illusion, though, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei were able to defeat the clone, and the body reverted back to its original form. That's everything, I swear." She then added, "Everyone's fine, so please calm down."

Sasuke turned to punch hard into the tree. Sakura immediately grabbed his hands, hoping the gentle contact would help. She guided him to a kneeling position, and she kneeled in front of him to start healing his bleeding knuckles. "Just calm down, ok?" she tried to soothe.

"I'm sorry," she offered. "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. I, uh, I just didn't want you to leave without saying anything. I probably should have thought of something else, though. Sorry." Sasuke only looked away from her, although he seemed to be regaining his composure. _If only I could tell what he was thinking!_ she thought desperately.

When she finished the healing, he finally spoke, "Thanks. Um, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," she smiled, "I'm fine."

"I didn't mean to react like that. I just can't stand…I just don't want him taking away anyone else."

She couldn't think of anything to say, so Sakura reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't try to stop her. They stayed like that for a few moments before Sasuke eventually pushed her away. Sakura tried to cover a hurt expression with a cheerful one and got dressed while Sasuke walked out from under the tree.

He meant to take off right away, but instead he turned and found himself watching her as she got dressed and fixed her hair, unaware of his gaze. Her smile and the words 'Doesn't hurt to make the best out of a situation, right?' flashed in his mind.

Feeling a little guilty over his behavior earlier, he walked back under the tree to help her gather up the blankets. She smiled awkwardly at him for his help, although inwardly she was ecstatic that he hadn't just left in his usual detached manner.

Then ducking back out from under the tree, he stood there for a second, as she stared up at him with expectant eyes. And instead of delivering his usual lines before departing, he leaned in for a kiss. Just a quick peck on the lips, but it was enough to send her heart racing. "I'll see you," he breathed, his face still so close to hers. And he left, to leave a wide-eyed Sakura in his wake.

* * *

Sakura was once again tucked snugly under the covers in her own bed. This time, she was able to quickly decide on two things before falling asleep: that Sasuke confused the living daylights out of her with his unpredictable behavior, and that she is going to report what information Sasori had given her to Tsunade in the morning. 


	6. Chapter 6 Consolation

Disclaimer: I have yet to own Naruto. I'll let you know when I do.

A/N: Just wanted to give thanks to everyone who's been reading this so far, and also for everyone's reviews. I hope this chapter picks up the pace if it was a little slow prior to this. In response to some comments, I changed my original approach to this chapter to incorporate more of Sasuke's side of things, and I think it turned out for the better. I won't be posting the next chapter until after the current manga arc is complete so I can see how/if I want to integrate it into this fanfic. Hope you can stand the wait!

I also went back and fixed some glaring mistakes I found and somehow missed in the previous chapters. I proofread them before I posted them initially, I swear. Nothing substantial changed, so don't go back and read for content; you can, however, check out the song I picked out for each chapter as suggested background music. I typed up the lyrics if there were any. Check out my profile for a compiled list so far, as well as links to hear at least a sample of all but one of the songs. Well, here we go:

**_Chapter 6: Consolation_**

Sasuke was a few hours into his trip back to the Sound village when he suddenly stopped. Looking back toward Konoha, Sakura's smile once again flashed in his mind.

'It's too bad you didn't stop by later. My family's leaving in the morning. They're going to be out of town for a couple weeks, so we could just stay at my place instead of coming all the way out here, not to mention being a little more comfortable.'

Sighing, he wondered why he was even considering going back. _I do have time before I need to get back_, he justified to himself. _It wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time with her. It's not like I don't enjoy being with her._

'Doesn't hurt to make the best out of a situation, right?' she had said.

He stood a little longer in indecision before chiding himself. _Why am I making such a big deal out of this? There's nothing wrong with wanting to stay a little longer, especially since I'm running out of time. I shouldn't feel guilty about this, right? Yeah, so it's no big deal. I'll just go back. It doesn't mean anything._

Having convinced himself of his choice, he started making his way back toward Konoha and arrived just before dawn. He was surprised to find the lights on at her apartment. Cautiously opening the balcony door a crack, he peered in to find Sakura alone in her room. It looked like she had just gotten out of bed and was heading over to her closet to pick out some clothes. Sasuke quietly let himself into the room.

Sakura immediately spun around, arms readied for attack, but quickly let them fall back down to her sides as she recognized her attacker.

"Am I still dreaming?" she murmured to herself.

Ignoring her bewilderment, he questioned, "Are your parents still here?"

Before Sakura could reply, they heard footsteps approaching her room. Sakura quickly shoved Sasuke into her closet and closed the doors moments before her mother opened the door to her bedroom while calling her name to make sure she was awake.

Plastering the biggest smile on her face, Sakura answered, "Yes, Mom?"

"Oh, good, Sakura, you're up. Hurry up and get dressed. Even your grandparents are ready to go."

"Ok, give me just a minute and I'll be downstairs." She walked over to her closet and opened the door to find a smirking Sasuke holding up her usual outfit. She covered her mouth to mute the laugh she couldn't hold back, and then whispered as she changed, "My mom just woke me up and insisted I go walk with them to the gate to see them off. I won't be long."

He nodded, contemplating how he had never taken notice of how cute her green and pink striped pajamas looked on her. He also thought about how nice it must be to have family.

After seeing her parents and grandparents off, Sakura hurriedly returned home, half afraid he would already be gone. But he sat patiently on her floor awaiting her return.

"So they're gone now?" he inquired as he stood up to face her.

"Yup."

Few seconds of awkward silence.

"Don't you have to get back?" she said to break the silence.

"It's ok. He's traveling somewhere with Kabuto." At the Sound-nins' mention, he saw her give a slight shudder. "They had already left before I had to come here, and they won't be back for at least a week, so I've got time."

"Oh, ok," she acknowledged. "I have to leave in a few hours to make my official report to Tsunade-sama. She might give me the day off since I just got back from a mission. Normally I'd spend the day training, but if you're going to be here, then I'll just come straight back."

_I never knew she could be so disciplined, training on her days off even. Was this because of me? Because I left?_ Looking her straight in the eye, he questioned, "So, you're ok with me being here?"

"Uh, yeah," she responded, in a slightly sarcastic tone before trying to stifle a yawn.

"Are you tired?" he asked in a surprisingly sincere manner.

"Aren't you? I'm guessing you didn't get any sleep yet."

"I'm fine, but we could sleep some before your meeting," he suggested.

"As in sleep, sleep. Not, you know."

_Does she have to look so puzzled like that? I'm just trying to be nice._ "Sleep is fine."

Sakura changed back into her pajamas and offered one of her larger t-shirts for him to wear with his boxers. She eagerly climbed into bed with him, excited for the cuddling. He tried to ignore her enthusiasm. Wrapping an arm around her and allowing her to use his shoulder as a pillow, they both eventually fell asleep….

* * *

Sakura dreamt that she was back in the Uchiha complex, making dinner for she guessed Sasuke. There was an infant in a crib next to her, and she scolded a little pink-haired girl who ran hazardously through the kitchen. 

"But Daddy asked me to run through the house," the little girl whined.

"Well, don't always do what Daddy says, you'll get hurt," Sakura lectured warmly. "Now dinner's almost ready, so go sit down at the table.

"Yes, Mommy," the little girl replied obediently.

Sakura deftly picked up the baby in one arm and a pot in the other and carried them both to the dining table.

"Here, let me take him for you," she heard in Sasuke's voice as she was trying to set the food down on the table. When she looked up at him, though, he had no face. Where features should have been was only blankness, like someone had erased them.

As she stared at his lack of face, Sakura suddenly opened her eyes and realized she was in bed. _What a weird dream_, she thought to herself. She looked beside her only to find an empty spot. _Did he leave?_

She quickly jumped out of bed to leave her room, only to be met with a delicious aroma as she opened her bedroom door. She walked down the steps and found Sasuke in the kitchen making breakfast. _Who knew he could cook? Of course, he was living alone a long time, so naturally he had to make food for himself._

"Good morning," he said without looking up. "Go ahead and sit down, it's just about ready."

"Um, ok," she replied hesitantly. _This is very weird. I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this from him._

Neither spoke much during the meal, after which Sakura left to make her report to Tsunade. _I hope he'll still be here when I get back._ She sighed._ Actually, I wish he'd never leave again._

Sakura quickly arrived at the hokage's office to find her mentor sleeping, her head resting on top of the many scrolls strewn about her desk. _I guess she's gotten behind in her paper work again_, Sakura thought with a trace of a grin. Clearing her throat, she spoke in a clear voice, "Tsunade-sama, I'm here to make my full report on the mission I returned from last night."

The hokage was startled out of sleep, knocking off a few scrolls off the desk during her trip back to consciousness. "Oh, Sakura, is it that late already? Sorry, I must have just dozed off for a few minutes."

"For my report-"

"Hang on, I could use some fresh air. Let's do this outside on the deck. Would you go ahead and find Shizune as well? Thanks."

After reporting all the events of the missions, Sakura was relieved that Tsunade had enough faith in her to send her to intercept the spy. Unfortunately, Kakashi wouldn't be well enough to make the trip, so they'd have to find temporary replacements. Naruto, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, immediately and vigorously took off in search of new members as if he had any authority in the matter.

Just then, an elder interrupted them, wishing to speak with Tsunade.

"This probably means I won't have time to train you today, Sakura. Go ahead and take the day to rest, so you'll be refreshed to hopefully be on your way tomorrow."

"Thanks, Tsunade-sama."

"Oh, where will you be today? At home?"

"Yes, I'll be at home." She added, "Um, just studying, by myself. Why do you ask?"

"I'll send someone to you when I have all the details for the mission. See you then, Sakura."

"Bye," she called, hoping she hadn't been too obvious and suspicious by her response.

On her way home, Sakura decided to stop to pick up some groceries. Rummaging through the carrots, she accidentally backed into someone. "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed before realizing Naruto had purposely snuck up behind her.

"Hey, Sakura, whatcha doing?"

"Just picking up some groceries on my way home. I thought you were out looking for teammates," she joked.

"I am. I just saw you from across the street and decided to say hi."

Sakura walked up to the counter with the goods to pay the owner as Naruto rambled on about something or other until he caught her attention with, "Say, do you want to meet up tonight? I was thinking we could have a little get together to sort of commemorate our first attempt in our search for Sasuke."

"That's actually a really good idea, Naruto. I'm surprised," she commented as they started walking in the direction of her apartment.

"You shouldn't be, I'm always coming up with good ideas."

"More like immature ones," she muttered under her breath. More audibly, "What time did you want to meet? Later would probably be better for me. There's a lot of studying I want to do today."

"I was thinking around midnight. We could have it by the memorial stone," he explained.

"Where we first became a team. You did come up with a good idea. Did you want to wear anything special? I can borrow one of my mom's kimono's if you like."

"Yeah, that'd be neat. I have a haori coat I can wear."

"I'm really excited for this," she honestly confessed. "Should we just meet at the stone at midnight then?"

"Why don't I pick you up? If we're going to dress up, I should escort you, right?"

"Uh, meeting there is fine," she tried to convince.

"No, I want to pick you up. I promise I'll be on time, say 10 to midnight?"

"Well, ok, if you insist. My family's away on a trip, so just knock at the front door instead of coming up to my balcony."

"Got it. See you tonight!" Naruto called as he was already bounding with an abundant amount of energy down the street.

"Wait!" Sakura tried to call but was already out of earshot. "I was supposed to tell you Tsunade-sama is choosing the new team members," she muttered to herself. "Oh well, he'll figure it out eventually."

Arriving back at home, Sakura found Sasuke peacefully asleep in her bed. Not wanting to wake him, she crept back down to the living room to look over some medical scrolls in the meantime. She was currently studying about an offensive chakra manipulation technique that can be performed on an opponent. _I guess I'll work on this until noon and go wake up Sasuke for lunch if he isn't already up by then._

The clock read about 11:30 when Sakura heard some movement from upstairs. Rolling her scroll back up, she went upstairs to check on Sasuke. Opening the door, she held off speaking up in order to observe him stretching. _He looks so cute in boxers and a t-shirt! He seems so much less intimidating dressed like that._ "Did you sleep well?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, sorry for sleeping so late," he apologized as he got dressed.

"It's ok. I got in some good study time, so it's not like I minded," she reassured.

"What were you studying?"

"Just some medical stuff."

"Is it hard?"

"Yeah, it is. You have to put in a lot of time learning and practicing before you start to see any results. I'm not sure I'll even be able to do what I was just studying."

"I see."

"I really like it, though. I don't know how to explain it. It just feels like…it fits, you know? I always felt like I didn't compare at all to you, and then later even to Naruto, but now I feel like I have an area I'm good at, too. Something I can contribute."

"That's good. So you're happy with what you're doing here?"

"Yeah, I'd say I am. It'd be better if you were here, too, though," she confessed.

"Are you hungry for lunch? I can go make something."

"I can make it since you made breakfast."

"I don't mind. You can keep studying then," he insisted.

"Um, all right. I brought back some more vegetables on my way home."

He nodded as he headed down toward the kitchen.

Sasuke quickly put something together for lunch, and they were once again eating mostly in silence until Sakura couldn't stand it anymore.

"So what are your plans here exactly? How long are you going to be staying?"

"I just thought I'd hang out for a little bit. Do you know when you're leaving on your next mission?" he inquired.

"Most likely tomorrow."

"Then I'll most likely head back tomorrow before dawn," he answered.

"So you only want to hang out then?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I see."

"Is the food ok?"

"Why don't you want to have sex?" she asked instead.

"Huh? We can if you like, if that's what you want."

"Well, no. I mean, yes. I like it, but that's not all I want. It just seemed that was all you wanted." A little flustered, she finally disclosed, "I'm just trying to figure things out, that's all. I can never tell what you're thinking."

"You want to know what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"Yes. Please."

"You can't always get what you want."

Sakura slumped her head and shoulders in defeat.

* * *

After cleaning up the dishes, the pair returned to Sakura's bedroom. They just sat on the floor looking around the room for a few minutes. 

_I never expected this to be so awkward. I wouldn't have come back if we were just going to sit around for the rest of the day, but I probably shouldn't try leaving until it gets dark_, Sasuke thought. As he shifted in his sitting position, he heard Sakura finally speak up.

"I'm going to stretch, if you don't mind. I want to make sure I'm loose for the mission."

"Sure, go ahead. Is it going to be a dangerous one?"

"Well, I'm not really sure what to expect, but yes, it's definitely high risk," she responded. She started stretching by swinging her legs out into a split.

_I had no idea she was so flexible_. Sasuke swallowed, trying not to be turned on. As a distraction, he started doing some sit-ups. Not knowing what else to talk about, he asked, "So what's this mission about?"

"Um…" was her only response.

Grunting slightly from the exercises, he pointed out, "I thought we already went through this. I gave you my word. I'm just making conversation, anyway."

"…"

"What, is the mission about me or something?" he joked.

"I…I'm sorry," was all she gave before running down the hall and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Following her, he called "Hey, Sakura," at the closed door. "Um, is something wrong?" _This is even worse than those awkward silences. I really wish I could just leave right now. Should I risk just walking out transformed as someone else? But then I'd be kinda a jerk to her if I left right now,_ he thought. _Not that I haven't been a jerk up to this point, but still…._

Sighing he knocked. "Sakura, please open the door." No response. "Please?" Still nothing. "Come on, you're the one who keeps wanting to talk, and now here you are shutting me out."

At that, he finally heard a click. Sasuke tentatively swung the door open to find Sakura sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Her arms hugged her legs tightly.

Softening a little, Sasuke crouched down in front of her and hesitantly reached out and gently touched her arm with the fingertips. "Are you ok?" he asked, sounding so sincere to even surprise himself.

She only jerked at the touch, though, and quickly snapped her head up to stare back at him with fierce pale green eyes. In them, he could read sorrow, anger, fear, bitterness, confusion, all blended together. A combination he was all too familiar with. Without speaking, he simply wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him after rocking back to a sitting position to lean his back against the wall. He loosened his hold on her temporarily as she shifted to tuck her legs underneath her so she could better press herself up against his chest.

"You can cry if you want to."

"No," she replied defiantly, as determination played across her face. "I've cried enough already. I vowed after you left that I would be strong for the both of you. I just need a few minutes to sort things out, that's all. I'll be fine," she reassured, although only somewhat convincingly.

She seemed content to just be held by him, so he didn't bother to come up with anything more to say. At first, he ran his hand up and down her back to try to comfort her, but eventually he started enjoying the contact himself. Enjoying it a little too much. He was consciously trying to ignore the fact that it felt really good to hold someone, to have a warm body pressed so close to him like this. The way she clung to him for support, the way she seemed so helpless in his arms, it was starting to turn him on. His mind inadvertently flashed a memory of her stretching earlier where her long legs were spread far apart, and he was definitely on his way.

He shifted his weight slightly, as if that would help the situation. In reaction to the movement, Sakura lifted her head up to face him, staring up at him with big innocent eyes. _She probably has no idea what she's doing to me right now. I could take her right now if I wanted to. I could have her right now, she would certainly let me…_

Forcefully changing his train of thought, _I was doing so well about not getting too involved. Even last night, which was very pleasurable, was only that to me. She probably put her whole self in it, but it was nothing more than that to me. I can't get too involved here. I can't let her get too involved here._

"Sasuke?" She looked at him questioningly.

_That did it._ Upon hearing her say his name, he threw out all reserve and aggressively pulled her in close to him as his lips hungrily devoured hers lips. His stomach jumped as his tongue found hers. After a few minutes, Sasuke stood up, pulling Sakura up with him. _She feels so light._ He started to make their way out of the bathroom, but got delayed when he had her backed up to the wall for another few minutes of heavy kissing. They eventually stumbled their way down the hall and were halfway across her bedroom to the bed when they heard a sudden knock at the front door.

Each of them jumped back from the other, neither quite looking their partner in the eye from embarrassment of what had just been transpiring between them.

Clearing her throat, Sakura spoke first. "I should probably go see who that is. It's probably someone stopping by to report the details for tomorrow."

"Right, yeah, I'll just wait up here then." _Good one, like that wasn't obvious_, he scolded himself.

Sakura turned and walked dazedly down the stairs, still reeling from the passion they shared a moment ago. She opened the door to see that she had been right; it was one of Tsunade's assistants.

"Sakura, Tsunade-sama would like me to inform you that you will meet your new team tomorrow morning at 8am outside the academy stadium. She would then like you to report to her directly before you depart for the mission. Is this all clear?"

"Yes, thank you. Tell Tsunda-sama I will see her in the morning then."

"Very good. Have a good evening, Sakura."

"You, too." She closed the door and leaned against it for balance as she released a sigh.

She returned back upstairs to find Sasuke preoccupied by push-ups. Shrugging, she resumed the stretching she had started, and did a little working out herself.

* * *

"Oh, Sasuke, please don't stop," Sakura practically begged. 

"How about like this? How does this feel."

"That feels wonderful. Oh, yes, I definitely like that."

"Ok, now it's your turn to give me a back massage."

"I guess if we must switch," she responded disappointingly. She was only a few minutes into her share of giving a massage when Sasuke suddenly pulled away from her. "That's good. I'm all sweaty from working out, so I'm going to go take a shower now," he explained quickly.

"It doesn't bother me, but that's fine. Do you want me to clean it first?" she offered.

"I'll do it. Why don't you make something for dinner while I do that?"

"Sure. Would sukiyaki be ok?"

"Yeah."

"It should only take about 45 minutes."

"Ok, I'll be done by then."

They each went their respective ways. Sasuke vigorously scrubbed the tub and shower area. He even cleaned the sink while he was at it. _I've got to get my mind off of this, but nothing seems to be working. I can't believe what I almost did. If that guy hadn't interrupted…._

His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura opening the bathroom door. "It's ready," she reported.

"I'll be right down." She went back downstairs, and Sasuke took a deep breath before following.

Dinner went smoothly. They ended up chatting about various methods of training, a nice safe topic. Sakura offered to do the dishes so Sasuke could go ahead and take that shower he had wanted.

Back in the bathroom, Sasuke undressed and set his clothes aside. Seating himself on the stool and lathering up, he relished the refreshing sensation of washing everything away.

After he finished bathing, he stepped into the freshly filled tub of hot water. Leaning back against the side, he exhaled out all his thoughts, good and bad, and inhaled renewal along with the steam. He was just getting settled in the meditation when Sakura entered the room.

"Do you mind if I shower now?"

He answered, "No, go ahead." His voice cracked a little. Only slightly though.

Despite his efforts not to, he couldn't help but watch her undress and scrub her skin clean. She almost took on an angelic appearance as she rinsed the soap from her body.

He swallowed hard as she gracefully stepped into the tub to join him. He quickly stood up to exit the tub when she lightly placed a hand on his arm. "No, please stay."

He complied and obediently sat back down.

_Think of something to say, think of something to say, think of something to say_. "So, why do you have family outside of Konoha?" he thought to say.

"Huh? Oh, because most of them are from Setagaya. Only my grandfather on my mom's side is from Konoha."

Silence.

"It's actually kind of a neat story, how my grandparents met. Would you like to hear it?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Apparently my grandmother was a famed shamisen (traditional guitar) player and dancer. She was asked to entertain all over the Fire country, and occasionally even in other countries. Anyway, my grandfather was assigned to a mission that involved being her escort as an alias to spy on something, I can't remember exactly what. Well, to tell the short version, he ended up saving her life as well as falling in love with her. Of course, she didn't take any notice of him. In fact, she didn't care for ninjas at all because she detests any sort of violence. But he wouldn't give up. Every time he'd pass through the area, he would give her a new dancing fan, or a new pick for the shamisen, something like that. Well, eventually she started falling for him. Through his gifts, he was showing appreciation for the arts and proving that just because he was a ninja, it didn't mean he couldn't be more than that. She was so impressed by his efforts and stubborn determination that she agreed to marry him and moved to Konoha with him. Isn't that romantic? Anyway, as for my parents, they met on one of my mom's visits there, and apparently against my grandparents' wishes, she went ahead and married him. I'm not sure why, maybe it was to appease my grandfather, but my dad then moved to Konoha and opened up a tatami store here, and my mom helps him out. They still go back to the town every few years, but I haven't been back since I entered into the academy."

"So, not a lot of ninjas in your family then?"

"Nope. My grandfather is the only one I know."

"Are you ready to get out?"

"Yeah, sure."

Sasuke stepped out first, then handed back a towel to Sakura before grabbing one for himself. After drying himself off and as he was getting dressed, he posed the question, "So why did you want to become a ninja then?"

"I don't know," she responded while throwing on a tank top and shorts. "I guess from all the stories my grandfather told me when I was little. It sounded exciting, and it seemed like something that would make him proud."

"Hn."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you become a ninja? It was expected of you in your family, I'm guessing," she conjectured.

"Yeah, it was…but I guess I also wanted to be like my brother and gain approval from my father."

Sakura didn't react for a few seconds due to shock from Sasuke actually talking about himself. "What was he like? Your father, I mean."

Taking a seat on the bed, "He was a stern man, but not in a harsh way. I wanted more than anything for him to acknowledge me. As a ninja, as a son, I don't know. Maybe it was because his approval was so difficult to earn that it made me want it so much. All he ever saw, though, was my brother. He was the star of the family, a ninja who could really bring honor to our family name. And I was nowhere near his level in anything. I didn't mind too much, though. I liked having a talented brother to look up to. But then, he started acting…different. And then…that day…he…"

Sakura, who had been standing up to that point, carefully sat down next to him. Before she had a chance to try to comfort him, he leaned in and rested his head against her chest. She quickly held his head in one arm, and wrapped her other arm around his body.

When she felt him start to pull himself away, she started, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked about my family so much. Or pushed you to talk about yours. I wasn't thinking about how it would affect you, sorry." As she was apologizing, she steadily became lost within the deep sadness she discovered in his eyes.

"No," he murmured as he leaned back in toward her. This time, though, he kissed her softly, caressing her face with both hands as he did. "Sakura," he breathed as he slowly undressed her, allowing her to do the same to him. Gently lowering her on the bed, he did what he was struggling all evening to avoid. And for once he was glad he wasn't as self-disciplined as he wanted to be.

* * *

Sakura woke suddenly. She looked up at her alarm clock. 11:18pm. Laying her head back down on the pillow, she mentally ran through what just happened. I_ was just sitting on the bed next to Sasuke, and he seemed pretty upset dredging up memories of his family. And the next thing I knew, he was kissing me. Not detached like the first time, not passionate like the second time, but in a gentle, longing kind of way. And after that…I guess that's what you call intimacy. Wow. Just, wow._

_But afterward he had said, 'Why am I so weak?' All I could do was hold him tight as he clung to me. I just didn't know what to do. I just can't fathom what he's going through. To think he's been bottling this up inside since for so long, before we were even teammates…teammates…Crap! Naruto! I almost forgot all about it._

She carefully slid her way out of Sasuke's arms so as not to disturb him, and then crept quietly toward the door when she heard Sasuke ask, "Where are you going?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that Naruto and I had made plans to meet up tonight. It's nothing really. But I didn't want to say no, though, you know, to not cause any suspicion. Just go back to sleep, I'll be back in a bit."

Sasuke rolled over and tried not to wonder what they could be doing together so late at night. Curiosity got the better of him, though, when he heard a knock at the door. "Is he picking her up?" He quietly snuck out into the hallway and peered down the stairs to the front door. He gasped when he saw Sakura was decked out in a deep mauve kimono decorated with pink cherry blossoms that matched her hair perfectly. She had pinned her hair up in a small, messy bun. But the real shock was that even Naruto had dressed up, and in a dark green haori coat and black hakama pants. _Where could they be going dressed up like that?_ He quickly put out of mind the fact that he observed Naruto hold out his arm for Sakura to grab as he escorted her out of the apartment, causing a big smile to develop on her face.

Resigning himself back to bed on account that there was nothing he could do, he reflected on the day. _I wonder what she was upset about earlier. And what did she mean when she said she was trying to be strong for us. It seems like she's doing pretty well for herself here, though. She's really grown in more than one way since I left._

A few hours later, he heard Sakura enter the apartment, then almost noiselessly walk up the stairs and into her parents' room. About 10 minutes later, she was back in her bedroom, wearing the tank top and shorts again.

"So how'd it go?" Sasuke asked her.

"Oh, it was fine."

"What did you do?"

"We just had a little get together before the mission, that's all," she said with a shrug.

He hated the fact that he could tell she wasn't telling the whole truth. Putting out of mind the many speculations he had concocted, he slid over to give her room to climb back into bed with him.

"So are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"This isn't working for you, is it?" he brought up.

"What do you mean? I don't understand."

"I mean, me. Visiting you like this every few weeks. Sneaking around, having to lie to everyone. It's not you. And I know it bothers you that I'm still with the Sound."

"No, it's fine, really," she tried to convince. When he didn't respond, she added, "I mean it, this whole thing is fine."

"Is it still fine if I tell you I don't love you? That I don't feel the same way about you that you do about me?"

"Why are you doing this all of a sudden? I thought things were going well." She was fighting hard to hold back the tears. "Didn't you enjoy tonight?"

"No, I did."

"Then…why?"

Kissing her on the forehead, he ordered, "Just get some sleep, ok? That way you won't be tired for the mission."

A few minutes later, he added, "Thank you for tonight, I needed that."

As hard as she tried to stay awake, to quench the fears slowly eating away at her by staring at his face as he slept, she eventually drifted into sleep herself, lying in his arms.

In the morning, she awoke to the sound of her alarm clock, and found herself alone in her bed again. This time, though, she felt Sasuke wouldn't be downstairs making breakfast. Climbing out of bed and walking over to her dresser, she noticed that he had left his wedding ring behind. In a swell of emotions, she grasped for her own ring that hung on a chain around her neck. She violently ripped it off as she collapsed in a heap onto the floor, sobbing fiercely.  
_(Track 6)_

* * *

Earlier that morning, while it was still dark, Sasuke made his way along the rooftops and eventually passed over the village wall. After traveling some distance beyond that, he dropped down to the ground. Bending over, stretching out his arms in front of him to rest his weight against a tree, he let the tears run freely down his face and drip down onto the ground. _What have I done?_


	7. Chapter 7 Results and Consequences

Disclaimer: Despite all my hopes and dreams, I still don't hold the rights to Naruto.

A/N: Ok, I was going to wait another few days for the next manga chapter, but I got impatient. I'm pretty much moving into completely my own plot now, so it shouldn't really matter what's in the next chapter (hopefully). I'm also completely passing over the character of Sai, and all the plot complications he comes with. I'm not including it for 3 reasons: 1. My focus is on Team 7 and not the inner-political struggle of Konoha, as interesting as I find that to be; 2. It'll take too long to figure out where he's going with it, and just delay my writing trying to incorporate it; 3. I'm just not that good of a writer to incorporate complex layers of subplots. So basically just pretend the 4th member of the hybrid Team 7 is some random character with no bearing on the plot of this fanfic.

Also, definitely check out my profile for track 7 – I've included an extra goodie. And off we go…

**_Chapter 7: Results and Consequences_**

In a swell of emotions, she grasped for her own ring that hung on a chain around her neck. She violently ripped it off as she collapsed in a heap onto the floor, sobbing fiercely.

"What did I do wrong!" Sakura screamed. "Why aren't I good enough! Why aren't I ever enough!" she cried. And in a defeated voice, she murmured, "Why could I once again do nothing to stop him from leaving?"

Standing back up, she squarely faced her reflection in the mirror. She didn't have time to work through the latest turn of events; she had figure out a way to hold her composure until she had time to deal with it alone. _What would Naruto do in this situation? He wouldn't give up, that's for sure. So neither will I. But this is so frustrating, I know he felt _something_ last night. I know he…_

Images of their intimacy flashed unwillingly through her mind, only causing more tears to well up from how close she felt to him. It had felt like he was surrendering something over to her, releasing something he had been holding onto for so long. _That's right_, she thought as she recalled the words he had spoken during their intimacy. 'Sakura, please forgive me,' he had whispered in her ear, 'for choosing this path to revenge.' _Why couldn't I say anything? Why couldn't I at least just reply with 'yes'? And now he's gone, and he may never know my answer._

She hadn't been able to respond to that, nor to his later confession of, 'Why am I so weak?' She could only hold him. Hold him, and stare at the cursed mark on the back of his neck. He had suffered things she could never understand. He made decisions she couldn't fathom. And while she had stared at the mark, only images of their first encounter with Orochimaru had played through her mind, his haunting words of confidence that Sasuke would come to seek him for power.

"Orochimaru," the word fell softly, but icily, off her lips. _Yes, for now I will focus on defeating _him_ instead._

Wiping away her tears, she scrunched her face up in determination as she quickly spun around and got dressed, anger temporarily replacing hurt feelings of confusion. This was not going to hold her back, at least not yet it wouldn't.

* * *

Bending over, stretching out his arms in front of him to rest his weight against a tree, he let the tears run freely down his face and drip down onto the ground. _What have I done?_

_How did I let myself go so far? I'm willing to sacrifice what it takes, I don't care about myself, but how could I have ever thought of involving Sakura? First Naruto, now her. Now I can't face either one of them._

_I thought if she was willing, I wouldn't have to consider it using her. I thought that if I didn't let her get too attached, she would be ok if I don't survive this. _Reflecting back on the time they had just spent together, he added to his thoughts, _But even if she was willing, it doesn't make it right, what I did to her._

Shifting his weight slightly, _I can't believe I slept with her last night. It wouldn't have been so bad leaving her had I just not…why couldn't I stop myself? I was already considering breaking it off after seeing her with her family, and definitely by that point I was already set on forgetting the whole thing. I'm sure that only made my leaving worse on her._ "Ahh, I'm such a jerk!" he accused himself as he clenched his fist tightly.

He removed the hand that had become a fist from the trunk to hold his head. _I wanted an heir, but there's no way it was worth it, to do this to her. I'd rather the Uchiha bloodline die with me than to involve her with me any longer. I'm only interrupting the life she has there. I had never even considered how a pregnancy would interfere with her training and missions. I guess I was half-expecting her to be the same teammate we were always protecting._

_She seemed really proud of her medical skills. I guess I'm proud of her, too._ He didn't try to hold back a small smile._ I think she really is happy there. _His thoughts wandered back to when Naruto had showed up, how they were both dressed up, how Naruto was probably taking her somewhere nice where they'd have fun together. The way she smiled when he held out his arm for her to take. _With the way things are, I certainly can't offer anything like that for her._

_She never smiled like that with me._

Gathering himself up as best as he could, forcefully wiping away his own tears, trying to forget the disgust he felt for himself, he started moving through the forest again, but he had one side trip to make before returning.

_The least I can do is let her go now, and hope she won't suffer too much. I'm sure she won't love me any more now that I've left her like this. But that's probably for the best, because then she'll be able to forget about me and the pain I inflicted on her._

_I would have been willing to be a husband to her, if I lived through my revenge, take her with me wherever I ended up after everything. But I see now that's where I really made the mistake. She deserves more than someone who is only resigned to be a husband for selfish reasons. She deserves more than that, from someone who can give that to her._

_It actually might have been nice, having a family again. I couldn't imagine it with anyone besides her…with Naruto nearby…and Kakashi-sensei…but I made my choice. I won't give up my revenge, and I refuse to drag her along any further down this path. She belongs in Konoha. I don't._

* * *

The previous night. 

"Sakura-chan, you look beautiful in that kimono!" Naruto complimented when she opened the door for him.

She glanced up the stairs, hoping Sasuke didn't overhear. Turning back to her companion, she responded with, "Thank you, Naruto. You look handsome yourself." And she meant it.

"I was on time, just like I said I'd be."

"Yup, you were. So shall we?" she spoke as she motioned toward the door. Naruto held out his arm for her to take, and she took it gladly. She couldn't help but smile at all his efforts to act like a gentleman.

Neither spoke much as they slowly walked to the spot where they first officially became gennins. All 3 of them. Together.

"I brought a blanket for us to sit on, so we wouldn't get our nice clothes dirty," Naruto interjected into their silence.

Sakura's head quickly shot around and at the familiarity, 'Sakura, why didn't you bring the blankets?' and 'I already grabbed the blankets, so just follow me,' in Sasuke's voice replaying in her mind. She swallowed down her momentary panic and managed to cheerfully remark, "You really did think ahead for this one." Smile.

After spreading the blanket out near the three training logs, Naruto awkwardly plopped down on the blanket, not used to the type of clothing he was currently wearing. Sakura more slowly and gracefully took a seat next to him.

Sakura decided to speak up. "So, do you think we'll get anywhere with this spy?"

"Yeah, I think so. There's still the two of us, right? So nothing can stop us from achieving our goal of finding him," Naruto exclaimed confidently.

"I guess you're right," she concurred, smiling brightly, not being immune to his contagious self-assuredness. "Hm, so do you miss him?"

"Who, Sasuke? Not at all. Don't miss the jerk at all." They both knew that was a lie. Naruto didn't dare return the question though, afraid of making Sakura upset by delving too deep in the subject.

Sighing, Sakura lay back on the blanket, staring up at the numerous stars. _I wish I could tell him, 'Naruto, Sasuke-kun's back in my apartment. If you want to see him, he's right there!' But a promise is a promise, right?_ she thought uncertainly.

Placing his hands behind his head, Naruto leaned back and lay next to her on the blanket, his blond spikes nearly touching her pink strands. Naruto turned his head slightly to study her face. _She's grown really beautiful since I was gone. Not that she wasn't always pretty to me, but she seems to just glow right now. _Looking at her eyes, though, he seemed to detect sadness mixed in with the green. _Probably thinking about Sasuke being gone,_ he thought. _I know I can never replace him, but I can at least do what I can for her._ He daringly and shakily reached out his hand to find and hold hers.

Sakura initially turned to look at him with shock playing across her features, but the surprise quickly melted into gratitude as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. _Who knew Naruto could be so sweet for such an extended time?_ she thought a little jokingly to herself. She honestly appreciated the gesture, though.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. We'll find him," he assured her.

"But what then? I mean, what's the point of finding him if he doesn't want to come back?"

"Then we'll make him come back."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"But he belongs here in Konoha, with us," he protested.

"You and I know that, but I don't think he feels that way. I mean, I don't think that's how he'll feel when we find him," she corrected. "I'm just saying, even if we can forcefully bring him back, it's not like we can just hold him here forever if that's not what he wants," she proposed.

"True, he might just try to leave again. But I still think it's better to bring him back first, and then once he's back here, we'll have a better chance of convincing him to stay."

"Maybe," she offered in reply.

"We'll be able to convince him to stay. Deep down, he wants to be here, I know he does."

"Naruto, would you help him kill his brother if he asked you?" she asked suddenly.

"You mean in exchange for him returning when it was done?" he conjectured.

"Maybe?"

"Hmm," he pondered aloud. Thinking back to the time when Itachi first came to capture him, and having to watch Sasuke get beat up physically and mentally by his brother, Naruto finally answered, "Yeah, I would, even if he didn't agree to come back. Even though I don't agree with his choice of leaving on his own to take revenge, I'd still help him. I'd rather do it for him, but you know how he is." He turned to look her in the eyes. "What about you?"

"I feel the exact same way," she replied, with some relief. She then sat up and suggested, "Why don't we go visit Kakashi-sensei?"

"Isn't it a little late? They won't let us in."

"You mean, they won't let you in. Since I work there, I have free access to the patients any time. Once I'm in, I can open the window for you to climb in," she explained proudly.

"Then let's do it!" he shouted as he jumped up and practically pulled the blanket out from under his teammate.

* * *

"So what are you two doing here," inquired a groggy Kakashi. 

"We came here to cheer you up!" replied Naruto enthusiastically.

"Why?" Kakashi whined.

Leaning in close to his teacher and pointing in Sakura's direction, Naruto whispered, "It was her idea."

"I heard that!" Sakura informed. "And for your knowledge, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto was way more excited than me to come and do this."

"Hm-hmn. So why are you two here again?"

"We came to cheer you up!" replied Naruto, just as enthusiastically as the first time.

Sakura only slapped her forehead with her own hand before responding, "Naruto and I wanted to get together before we investigate our first clue to Sasuke-kun's whereabouts, and we just decided to stop by to visit you, too, since you're part of the team."

"Yeah, don't worry Kakashi-sensei, we're going to find him and we're going to bring him back! Then we'll be our old team again." He nodded emphatically with that last statement.

"Well, not to crush your hopes, but even if you do bring Sasuke back, don't expect it to be the same as before," Kakashi lectured in one of his few serious moments. Watching as a dampened demeanor descended upon both his students, he quickly perked back up, "Ah, but that doesn't mean we still won't be a team. It'll just be different, that's all."

Naruto and Sakura noticed the movement of Kakashi's lips into seemingly a smile underneath the bed sheets. It was at that moment that they both simultaneously realized the only thing that separated their eyesight from Kakashi's face was a thin bedsheet placed loosely over his face. They looked at each other with the same scheming expression, while Kakashi merely sweat dropped.

As both students lunged in to pull the sheets down, Kakashi rolled out of bed at the exact moment a nurse entered the room with a tray of food. "Here's the late night snacks you reques…" the nurse started but quickly rushed toward what appeared to be a threat to one of her patients, only to trip and have the tray conveniently fly in front of Kakashi's face, giving the man just enough time to whip off his pillowcase and wrap it as a mask around his head to cover his face.

"Ahhh!" both teenagers cried and pointed as they saw their moment of golden opportunity slip from their sure grasp in slow motion.

"Well, the slight exercise cheered me up greatly, thanks you two," Kakashi commented cheerfully as he patted them simultaneously on their heads. "By the way, why are both of you dressed up like that? Sakura doesn't look _too_ bad, but Naruto, you just look stupid," he remarked in his usual laidback tone.

"Stupid!"

"What do you mean, not _too_ bad?"

"Nurse, I think it's time you escorted my guests out. They're getting a little too excited for my health."

"Umm, yes, of course." The nurse, who had been gawking at the scene played out before her, proceeded to lead two ninja out of the hospital room, both of whom were violently and angrily shaking their fists in the direction of the teacher they had been so happy to visit.

"Ahhh, now I feel like I can sleep very pleasantly tonight," Kakashi murmured to himself. "They should definitely stop by more often."

* * *

Walking in the general direction of the stadium, Sakura found a nice spot in the woods. _Yes, this will do just nicely_, she thought. She was able to get ready faster than she expected, and had a few minutes to work off some emotions before meeting up with everyone. 

Donning a glove on each hand, Sakura began to punch the padded tree, the one Lee often practiced on. Of course, in order to not do too much damage to a training object that belonged to the village, these were just her normal punches. It was good training to condition her hands for non-chakra encased impacts anyway.

_I'm going to stop you, Orochimaru. _Punch. _ I may not be able to convince Sasuke to come back._ Punch. _ But I'm at least going to stop you from using him as your container._ Punch, punch, punch, kick.

Ten minutes later, tucking her gloves back in her pack as she caught her breath, Sakura quickly ran to the designated meeting place.

* * *

Six days later, after the meeting with the 'Akatsuki spy,' Sakura quickly gathered her things to make their departure back to Konoha. 

Since they stayed in separate rooms, she was to meet the boys in front of the inn, except that she was the only one ready on time. Wait, someone was walking toward her. "Kakashi-sensei?" She pointed and gawked. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Sakura. I'm feeling all better now, so I came out here to meet you guys," he explained, a hand resting behind his head. "So how did everything go?"

"Well, the spy turned out to be Kabuto, who actually was still loyal to Orochimaru. Then Naruto went all 4-tails and fought against Orochimaru in a beastly manner while I did nothing useful other than try to stop Naruto in his berserker mode, which only resulted in me getting hurt. Oh, and I was knocked out by Kabuto flying past me before that," she explained. "Luckily Yamato was there to return Naruto back to normal, otherwise we would've all been screwed. And even if no one else does, apparently Kabuto thinks I'm useful and healed me so I can kill more members of Akatsuki. And we learned nothing about Sasuke-kun except that his departure has driven Naruto to become just as self-destructive." _Why did I describe it like that? _she questioned herself.

"I see, that's very interesting. I have my own report for you. Well, actually, more like advice."

"Advice? Huh? What kind of advice?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face. She glanced back toward the inn in hopes to see the rest of her team walking out the door any moment now. _Kakashi-sensei sure is acting strange_, she thought.

"This kind of advice," he said matter-of-factly as he cued for the music to start and for an exuberant Maito Gai to make a grand and flashy entrance.  
(_Track 7)_

Sakura just blanched.

Kakashi sang to warn her to free herself from the restricting bonds of love, in a frightfully female voice, while dancing very scarily. Gai acted as flyboy and danced even worse, while occasionally interjecting, "Youth Power!"

In the middle of the 2nd verse, Sakura jolted awake, finding that she was still in her bed in the inn. "What a mentally-scarring dream," she muttered to herself. "Wait…babies!"

Sitting up, she contemplated, _Hmm…well, I guess it is possible, but it's a little soon to tell since it's not due for another week. But still, to have a dream like that, and if I had to go off of gut instinct...of course, this wouldn't happen until _after_ he decides to leave for good, right? Ok, no negative thoughts right now. I just need to stay calm and not worry about this until it's confirmed. I'll just have to wait and take a test when I get back to Konoha. One of the perks of being a medic is I can just make my own test to not arouse suspicion. Yeah, so no panicking. All right, everything's going to be fine_, she tried to console herself. _Everything's going to be fine,_ she repeated as if that would make it more true somehow.

_I still have that option if it turns out I am pregnant. Although since it seems Sasuke ended things, even that might not be viable…_

Sakura heard a knock at her door, followed by, "Hey, can I come in?" in Naruto's voice.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and switch modes, she called back "Just give me a minute to get dressed." She quickly added in warning, "And don't bother sneaking around to my windows, I have all the blinds closed tightly!" This was followed by the sound of footsteps lightly retracing their way back in front of her door. _Really, did he have to pick up _those_ traits from Jiraiya-san? Of course, he always did have a little bit of that in him_, she relented, chuckling slightly as she put on her usual clothes.

She then walked over and opened the door to a way too cheerful for so early in the morning face.

After starting some tea, Sakura sat down next to Naruto at the table. Before she had a chance to ask how he was doing, Naruto cut in, "Sakura-chan, are you ok? I mean, really? I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" Serious blue eyes stared guiltily into hers.

Doing her best to don a carefree attitude, Sakura attempted to brush off his concern. "I'm fine. The cuts weren't that deep. See? No marks, already healed up." She held out her arm for proof.

"Yeah, maybe physically you're ok now, but you must look at me differently now. I hurt you."

"But you didn't mean to," she corrected. "I don't hold it against you, honest. But I really wish you wouldn't go that far anymore." She swallowed. "I mean, even if it's to get Sasuke-kun back, it's not worth it, ok? It damages you, too."

"I promise I won't go that far whenever you're around."

Sakura sighed. _Men can be so stubborn when it comes to sacrificing themselves. But then again, I don't really have room to talk. I literally gave my body for Sasuke's sake. What a team we are._ "Naruto, please, not ever. I just don't want you to suffer," she begged. She even reached out and placed a hand on his cheek to convey her seriousness.

Naruto only placed his hand on top of hers. They just looked at each other until the sound of a kettle whistling interrupted the silence. Sakura quickly stood up to pour the tea. Returning to the table with two cups, she sat just a little farther away this time.

Sipping her tea, Sakura asked softly, "So how are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine. The kyuubi heals me up just fine. Don't worry about me," he proclaimed with a smile.

"But I am worried about you!" Sakura cried out, nearly shouting at him. "What I saw…you were…it wasn't you who were fighting anymore. No matter how powerful you are in that form, you can't save Sasuke-kun like that! You can't save anyone like that!"

Neither spoke for a few minutes.

"Kabuto commented that it was more like two monsters rather than two ninjas fighting," Sakura added dejectedly.

Naruto just stood up and turned toward the door, his back facing his companion. Before he had a chance to take a step, Sakura leaped up and hugged him from behind. "You're not a monster, Naruto. The kyuubi is, but you aren't. Please, don't fight like that anymore. I can't stand to see you like that!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "It's not you. It's not who you are," she whispered. "It's not worth it. Please," she begged, "I don't need you following him down the same path. I can't take losing you, too!"

Turning his head around slightly, he replied, "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll get him back. And you don't need to worry about losing me, I'll always be with you. I'll always take care of you."

"You mean, _we'll_ get him back. We're doing this together, remember? You don't have to fight alone."

"We should get ready to meet the rest of the team outside." And with that, he stepped out of her embrace and left the room. _I just don't want to risk hurting you again, Sakura-chan._

_Why do they both pull away from me?_ Sakura wondered hopelessly.

* * *

Back in Konoha standing on her balcony, Sakura allowed the wind to play with her pink hair as her green eyes stared unseeingly out into the night, as if the horizon could whisper to her what her next move should be. 

She had gotten a positive result from her self-made pregnancy test.

Walking back into her room, Sakura started packing. On the night that Sasuke had first showed up, he had told her that if anything should happen and she needed to leave Konoha, to go to the Good Luck Inn in Otafuku. He had left money there to pay for a room, and he said that he'd eventually meet up with her there. _But would he even check anymore? What other choice do I have, though?_

Sighing, Sakura did a last minute check that she had packed everything she needed and was about to glance over the letter she would leave for her parents when she heard a slight tap at her window.

Without even daring to hope it to be true, Sakura deftly made her way across the room and opened the window to meet a pair of blue eyes. "Sorry to disturb you, Sakura-chan. It's just, it's been bothering, how I left you back at the inn. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior back then. I didn't mean to brush you off like that. I wasn't going to say anything, but I just had to. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I understand that what you have to deal with isn't easy."

"Are you ok? You seem a little out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired from the traveling, that's all."

Naruto glanced around her room to see all her drawers pulled out, their contents spilling over the edges. _I thought she was neater than this._ His eyes then fells on the bag sitting in the middle of her floor, packed full of clothes and other items. _Funny, she didn't have a big bag like that on our mission._ Stepping into the room, Naruto casually asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, why do you say that?" She quickly set the bag in her closet and closed the door.

"Sakura-chan, what's going on?" he asked with full seriousness.

Partly due to her desperate situation, and partly due to her heightened emotions, Sakura couldn't hold back the words that wanted to burst from inside her. "I'm leaving, Naruto. I'm leaving Konoha. I have to. I've gotten myself into a mess and I can't stay here anymore." Somehow, she managed to hold the tears back, although they threatened.

"What do you mean, you have to leave? If something's wrong, I'll help you fix it. It can't be so bad that you have to leave." He stepped in closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If there's anything I can do, just name it. Please, I want to help you."

Sakura stared at the floor for a few minutes, thinking through all the possibilities before finally responding, "Then will you marry me?"

"Huh?" was his only reaction.

"Not a real marriage, of course. But just to explain how I'm…I'm pregnant." She sheepishly looked up to see how he would take the news.

Without hesitation, and without asking for more explanation, Naruto replied, "Ok."

"Now, you know this is fake right? So don't get any perverted thoughts on what's going to happen, ok?" she lectured, despite the heaviness of the situation.

Naruto took another step closer and wrapped his teammate in his arms. "Don't worry, I know what'd happen to me if I tried," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Naruto, you don't know how much this helps me. It'll just be until I can somehow get things sorted out. You're sure you don't mind this? I mean, what will people think when they find out it's not for real? Are you really ok with that?"

"If it means you don't have to leave, then yes."

Pulling herself away from his arms and looking him straight in the eyes, she added, "We can formally announce it to my parents in the morning, so you have time to change your mind. I understand if you do."

"What time should I stop by?"

"Is 9:30 all right?"

"I'll see you then. Good night, Sakura-chan."

"Good night," she whispered as her friend jumped from her balcony. _I sure hope I know what I'm doing. I'm so sorry, Naruto, for dragging you into this. I'll make it up to you somehow._


	8. Chapter 8 Mentoring

Disclaimer: I really wished I owned Naruto, but I think it'll only remain a dream.

A/N: Ok, for clarification purposes, in this fic, the Oro-Naruto fight ended with Kabuto and Oro escaping and the modified team 7 returning to Konoha. Also, I already mentioned that Sakura's scar healed up and I don't feel like changing it because I like the contrast of physical wounds vs. emotional ones, so no kyuubi chakra is poison either – sorry kyuubi for taking away some of your awesomeness.

**_Chapter 8: Mentoring_**

Despite her exhaustion, sleep completely eluded the pink-haired ninja. She had already run through her mind multiple times what she was going to say to her parents in the morning. She was pretty confident she could convince them, but that wasn't what was bugging her. What really kept her awake was the idea of having to lie to them, to everyone.

Not that this was anything new, of course. She's spent much of her life hiding her real emotions. But something about having to pretend to marry Naruto made all the other things she has always been pretending rise to the surface. And she was kept awake trying to remember why she hid her emotions in the first place.

* * *

In the morning, Sakura smiled brightly as she bounded down the steps toward the kitchen. She cheerfully ate the breakfast her mother had prepared, and as she carried her dishes over to the sink, she began execution of her plan. 

"Hey, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."

"What is it, dear?" her mother asked as her father also turned his attentions to his daughter.

"Well, it's not so much a 'what', but a 'who'. You see, I've been thinking about a lot of things since Naruto came back from his training, and I think I've come to a decision. I know you're going to think it's rushed, and that I'm not thinking things through, but please, just hear me out first, ok?"

Her mother was about to respond, but her words were cut off by a knock on the door. _Of all the times for Naruto to show up early. I wanted to get my explanation out before he arrived. Oh well, guess I can't help it now,_ Sakura thought.

Sakura quickly rushed to the door so she could be the one to open it. Taking a deep breath, she swung the door open and found Naruto dressed in formal attire similar to what he wore for commemorating their search for Sasuke; he was also holding a package in his hands. Sakura stepped aside so he could enter the apartment. Then, turning around, she abruptly announced, "Naruto and I decided to get married."

"…." were both her parents' reactions. Her mother was the first to recover, though. "Sakura, honey, I'm sure you have a good reason for this, but don't you think this is a bit sudden?"

"I know, it seems that way. I mean, Naruto and I have been on the same team for a while, and since he came back, well, we just kept growing closer since." She paused to choose her words carefully. "You see, I realized on this most recent mission that you never really know when it'll be your last. And I just don't want to let this chance slip by me…again." Sakura looked expectantly for some sort of response from either of them.

Her mother decided to take a seat at the table before continuing. "I understand how you feel, that you're worried that something might happen, but if something doesn't happen and you both live for a long time – which of course is what I'm hoping for – while it may seem like a good idea now, you might end up regretting it later. I believe that you probably care about each other a lot, but maybe things should just go a little slower," her mother advised them.

"You mean like you and Dad?" Sakura retorted. "You knew Dad for what a few weeks before you two snuck off and got married – against Grandfather's and Grandmother's wishes, I might add. I've known Naruto for much longer, and I'm at least asking permission first before getting married." She tried not to inwardly wince at that last part. "And you and Dad are perfectly happy together after all these years. Why can't you trust me to make the same decision?"

"It's not a matter of trust, Sakura," her mother admonished, "it's just…it's just that…" she sighed, seemingly to search for the right words. "I'm not sure if you know this, but really he is…he is-"

"The container for the kyuubi? Yeah, Mom, I know." Naruto wordlessly started to turn toward the door, but Sakura grabbed onto his arm to prevent him from doing so. "And you know what? It doesn't make one bit of difference. Yes, the kyuubi is inside of him, but Naruto's a person, not the kyuubi itself."

"I think you misunderstand what your mother's trying to say," her father finally interjected. "You see, the Hokage-sama talked to us recently about Naruto's…instability, since you're potentially in danger while being on missions with him. We have nothing against him being the container for the kyuubi, but we're still concerned about your safety," he spoke gently.

Sakura just stared, her mind racing for some kind of response to make to that. Instead, Naruto spoke up first. "I understand your concern, sir. But that's exactly the reason Sakura wants to marry me. She feels that somehow it will help me control the kyuubi better, and so she'd actually be in less danger. I told her it wasn't worth it, that I'd find another way, but she was so insistent that who am I to go against the wishes of your daughter?"

Everyone stared in shock at the sudden explanation from the kyuubi container who hadn't spoken up to that point. Sakura's mother, clearing her throat, was the first to come up with a response. "Why do you think that, Sakura?" she inquired.

Shifting her weight as she thought of a reason, she blurted out, "Because it'll give him a reason to control it all the time," she paused before adding with a little less confidence, "I'm guessing."

"And is it worth it to make such a serious commitment for something you're not even sure of?" her mother questioned critically.

"It's what I want. Whether it works or not, it's still what I want, and if it could help, all the more reason to do it, right?" _Whew, that at least sounds convincing…I think._

Her parents glanced several times between their daughter and the boy she wants to marry. Her father asked his daughter, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Swallowing down the distaste developing in her mouth for having to lie so blatantly to her parents, Sakura nodded as she spoke softly but firmly, "Yes."

Her father continued, "I see. And Naruto, are you all right with this? You won't be able to make her happy if you're just doing this for her sake."

"Of course, sir. I want this, too. Throughout our experiences together as a team, I have fallen in love with Sakura-chan."

Sighing, Sakura's father looked over to his wife, and, placing a hand on her shoulder, confessed, "I think we should just trust them in this decision. After all, she takes after us…you especially," he added with a smile.

"All right," her mother replied simply. "Exactly when are you planning to have the ceremony?"

"This weekend," Sakura stated matter-of-factly. Two pairs of adults eyes bulged out in the direction of their daughter.

Regaining composure, her mother suggested, "Why don't we at least wait a few months. I mean, it'll take time to plan, and we'll have to see when the rest of the family can make the trip…unless you'd prefer to hold the ceremony in Setagaya, which that'll take time going back and forth making arrangements."

"No. I already said how I realize now how easy it is to not return from a mission. It's going to be this weekend. And it's going to be here. I don't think the family is that concerned about attending my wedding since I have even seen any of them since I was little. If they can make it, great, but if not, I'm sure they won't count it as a great loss. I feel closer to the other ninjas here, and I'd rather have them in attendance," Sakura stated boldly.

"Sakura!" her mother cried. "How can you say your family means nothing to you?"

"Well, if they're so important, why don't we live in the same town then? I'm not saying I don't care about them, but I don't see why we have to accommodate them. My cousin got married last spring and we didn't go."

"Yes, but they at least sent us an invitation and ample time to make arrangements to attend." She looked into her daughter's eyes only to have her determination mirrored back to her. "All right, this weekend. We better get planning right away then. Why don't you start by stopping by Yamanaka's flower shop, so then you can give Ino the news."

Sakura's defiance quickly melted away as she bounded over to give her mother a quick squeeze. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad," she called as she and Naruto exited the apartment.

Once outside and a safe distance away, Sakura heaved a huge sigh of relief and laughed as she said, "Wow, I thought they were never going to consent. I'm glad that part's over with. You really made an impression back there, Naruto. Where did you come up with that stuff?" she questioned as she playfully poked him. "Don't tell me flattering a girl's parents was one of the things Jiraiya gave you training in during those years."

Naruto just smiled.

Turning serious once again, Sakura asked one last time, "Are you sure you're ok with this? I mean, this is something serious even if it is only fake – it'll still affect your reputation."

"It's fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto replied staring straight at her.

* * *

A small chime sounded as Sakura opened the door to the Yamanaka flower shop. The sweet smell of flowers greeted her, along with her friend and old rival. 

"Hey, Sakura!" Ino greeted. "Aren't you usually training with Tsunade by now?"

"We just got back yesterday, so…"

"Oh yeah. So how did that go? You seem to be ok. Did you get any clues to finding Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura simply shook her head 'no'.

Ino quickly jumped off the stool she was sitting on and walked over to her friend. Gently squeezing Sakura's shoulder, she reassured, "Don't give up hope. I'm sure you'll find him and bring him back somehow."

"Thanks, Ino. But I actually have some good news to share with you," Sakura smiled.

"Good news? Do share." _Thank goodness she's not too depressed about the dead end mission. She always tries to hide how much it really affects her…she's always been that way._

"Well, it actually has something to do with the reason I came here. You see-" Sakura started before she was interrupted by Chouji's entrance.

"Hello, Chouji," Ino greeted her teammate. "Don't tell me I'm late? I thought we weren't meeting with Asuma-sensei until 11."

"Asuma-sensei moved the time up, so I came to let you know and walk with you there now." Turning to the pink-haired shinobi in the story, "Hello, Sakura. Congratulations on your engagement."

This was followed by two girly shrieks. Simultaneously, Ino and Sakura shouted, "Engaged? What do you mean engaged?" and "How did you find out already?" respectively.

Throwing his hands up in defense, Chouji explained, "Well, as I said, I came to get you, Ino, since the meeting time was changed, but I stopped by your apartment first, and Sakura's mother was there and she was talking with your mother, so I overheard that Sakura is engaged to Naruto. By the way, your mother wanted me to tell you that she'll be down here soon so just lock the door in the meantime."

"I can't believe you found out before me! That's just so…so wrong." Turning to Sakura, "Is it true? Are you and Naruto really engaged?"

Sakura smiled and cheerfully bobbed her head. "Yep, we broke it to my parents this morning. And I stopped by here to see if your family would be willing to do the flowers for it on my way to see how Kakashi-sensei is doing. I told Naruto he could go ahead of me instead of boring him with girly stuff."

"Did you even need to ask? When's it going to be?"

"Saturday," Sakura stated matter-of-factly.

"This Saturday! Why so soon?" Ino exclaimed. Even a little surprise played across Chouji's face.

"What's wrong with it? You know what kinds of missions we go on…I just don't want to take any chances and have it be too late." Ino caught the slightest hint of sadness in her friend's eyes before it was quickly covered back up. "Anyway, do you think you can manage it? It's not going to be a big wedding, so it shouldn't be too much work, just however much you can handle."

"Um, yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. Well, I have to go meet up with my team, but we definitely need to start picking things out. When can you meet?"

"How about we meet for dinner to discuss some ideas before coming back here?"

"That sounds good. Why don't I pack something and we can meet at the park, say at 6?"

"Works for me. I'll bring dessert."

All three of them walked out the door and Ino locked it behind them and put up a sign saying someone would be back soon and an apology for the inconvenience.

* * *

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! How are you feeling?" Sakura inquired as she walked into her sensei's house. She forcefully resisted the shudder that wanted erupt from being reminded of her dream of a few days ago. 

"Ah, I'm feeling much better now. Thank you for asking, Sakura," Kakashi spoke.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked when she noticed a distinct absence of noise.

"He heard Jiraiya was in the village, so he set off to look for him. He told me to tell you he was sorry to rush off before you got here," responded Kakashi.

"I see. I'm guessing you already heard that we didn't get any information, then? If only we could have kept up with them," Sakura spoke as she slammed her fist into her palm in an exhibition of frustration.

"Yes, Naruto already told all of that to me. He also mentioned that you two are getting married on Saturday. I know this mission was difficult on him emotionally, but surely he's not delusional now, is he?"

Laughing, Sakura answered, "No, he's not hallucinating. We really are getting married. You should know how close we've become on the missions and everything."

Kakashi just stared at her before responding, "Yes, you and Naruto have become closer…as comrades. Don't lie to me, Sakura. Naruto's always had a crush on you, but your feelings were always directed on someone else." Sakura just stared back at him as a response. Sighing, he continued, "Just tell me one thing, does Naruto know you aren't in love with him?"

Sakura hung her head in shame as she whispered quietly, "Yes, he knows."

"Well, that was my main concern," Kakashi responded surprisingly brightly.

"You mean you don't object?" asked a confused Sakura.

"You're a smart girl and not one to be rash. I'm sure you have good reasons for doing this. As long as Naruto is willingly going along with this without being deceived, I won't question and won't say a word...for now. I hope, though, that you know what you're doing," he kindly warned. "And now onto business. Tsunade may have given you the day off from training, but I haven't. I want you and Naruto to meet me at the usual place at 1."

"So that means you'll be showing up when?" Sakura chided as she walked toward the door. She was relieved Kakashi wasn't going to reveal the fakeness of the marriage. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Kakashi-sensei…and thanks," she spoke as she let herself out of the apartment.

"Oh, and one more thing. Between now and then, you might want to go tell Tsunade the news."

"Hehe, yes, that's probably a good idea. Thanks for reminding me, Kakashi-sensei," she thanked joyfully while inwardly cursing. "Well, I guess I should head over there now." And with that, she slammed the door behind her.

* * *

"You can't be serious, Naruto! After all that I taught you, you're just going to throw that away over _one_ girl?" Jiraiya stared mournfully at the boy he had trained for 2 ½ years. 

"I'm not like you, Ero-Sennin," Naruto responded. They sat on the rooftop of Naruto's apartment building, their legs dangling over the side of the building. "So what are you in the village for anyway?"

"I just came to report some information I discovered…about Akatsuki. They seem to have become active again since the attack on the Sand village and are moving more quickly to capture other tailed beasts. They may be motivated to complete whatever their goal is before Orochimaru has a chance to-"

"Orochimaru won't have that chance!" Naruto interrupted. Changing the subject slightly, Naruto asked, "So have they been able to capture any more?"

"They have one more, although I don't know which one, and how many they have total now."

Naruto clenched his fists and grit his teeth at the thought of another jinchuuriki like himself dying at the hands of Akatsuki. "I will stop them no matter what!" he vowed. "Do you know where I can find them?"

"I think you need to stay away from them right now. You're in no condition to fight. I already heard what happened on your most recent mission. You have to learn to control yourself first…otherwise, you're just as much of a threat to your comrades as your enemies, if not more. Even after all this time you're still too hot-headed. I won't allow you to endanger anyone right now." He paused for a moment before continuing with, "Maybe this marriage is coming at a good time. Take some time off and learn to deal with your temper."

"But I don't have time. In less than 6 months-"

"You're no good to him like you are now. Your determination can do a lot of good, but right now, it's doing more harm."

"I know, but I can't afford to…"

"You don't have much choice. So get your emotions straightened out quick so you can go back to searching for Sasuke, hm?"

Naruto just stared down at his hands. The Sannin glanced at his trainee. "Well, I need to go make my reports. Don't forget what I told you," he advised as he leaped from the roof and was quickly out of sight. _You'll find your way…and your strength, Naruto_, Jiraiya thought to himself as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Naruto sighed and continued to stare at his clenched fist before slowly releasing his tight grip.

* * *

"Come in!" called the fifth Hokage. She looked up to see Sakura walk into her office. "I thought I gave you the day off from training, and I'm sure Kakashi would want to have a meeting." 

"You did, and we do later this afternoon," Sakura replied. A little more hesitantly, she added, "But there's something I should tell you."

Tsunade motioned for her student to come closer to her desk as she walked around to the front of her desk and leaned against it. "What is it? Did you think of something to add to your report?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just thought…you'd like to know that Naruto and I are getting married on Saturday," she blurted out suddenly. She thought maybe if she said it quickly it would somehow reduce the shock and therefore repercussions from her temperamental mentor.

Slamming her hands violently down on the desk behind her and stomped one foot as she straightened up, Tsunade glared venomously at her pupil. "What? Are you crazy? What on earth are you thinking doing something like that? Are you willing to just throw away all of your training like that?"

_Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be_, Sakura thought to herself. Speaking in as calm as manner as she could muster, she responded, "I'm not planning on ending my training or being a ninja. Naruto wouldn't ask me to."

"What if you get pregnant? I can't risk sending you on missions, so what good are you as a ninja then? Even if you want to be engaged, I highly recommend putting off the marriage for a while yet," she suggested through clenched teeth.

"If I do get pregnant, it's only temporary. I can still keep up with theory and go on missions again once the child is born," Sakura answered matter-of-factly.

"So you honestly think you'll be able to gamble your life on a mission knowing that a child's waiting for you to come home?"

Sakura only answered with silence.

Tsunade continued, "And what about Sasuke? What happened to your determination to rescue him? I was under the impression you still cared for him."

Forcing tears, or maybe they came naturally, Sakura shouted back, "What are the chances I'm ever going to see him again? Huh? The last mission was a bust, and there's not much time left. And even if we do find him, who's to say we'd even be able to bring him back?" Lowering her voice slightly, she added, "And Naruto's always been there for me. This latest mission has made me understand some realities, I think. And I can't stand the thought of losing another person who's precious to me."

Tsunade lowered her own voice when she responded with the question, "Sakura, why are you doing this exactly?"

"Like I said, I came to some realizations on the mission. I discovered just how much Naruto really means to me. Yes, I've been training all this time with the specific goal to rescue Sasuke-kun in mind. However, I realized that I never would have had the courage to take that step if it weren't for Naruto. He's always been there. He's someone I can rely on…he will always be there for me. So do you really need to ask why my feelings would change?"

Tsunade walked back around to take her seat behind her desk once again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you on such a personal subject. You may go."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Sakura replied as she turned and exited the hokage's office.

With her elbows propped up on the desk, Tsunade interlacd her fingers together and, resting her chin upon her hands, thought, _Even if your feelings have changed, why rush into marriage like this? This isn't like you. What are you thinking, Sakura?_

* * *

"So what did you bring?" inquired a curious Ino as her friend sat down next to her after setting a box down on the blanket. 

Shrugging, Sakura answered, "I just picked up some yatsuhashi on my way here. I hope you like the strawberry kind." Sakura smiled as she added, "Remember we used to eat strawberry yatsuhashi in your room after class?"

"Yeah, I remember those days. Strawberry's still my favorite," Ino replied with a smile. "We wasted too many years, didn't we though? I shouldn't have let you turn our friendship in a rivalry."

"It's ok, Ino. I think I understand why you did – and that we did it for the same reasons in mind. I hope you know I'll always be grateful for everything you taught me."

The two girls just smiled warmly at each other, taking in the sincerity of the moment before chatting carelessly while unpacking all the food.

"So you're really going to do this, huh? Marry Naruto on Saturday?" Ino paused for Sakura to nod in response. "I still can't believe it. Back then, it felt like we'd always compete for Sasuke-kun's attention until he finally chose one of us."

"Yeah…"

"So I guess our rivalry is officially over then."

"Yeah, I guess so," Sakura replied cheerfully while she ate her meal.

"You know, I've actually been thinking…" Ino trailed off.

Seeing her friend wasn't going to complete her sentence, Sakura prompted, "You've been thinking what? Come on, tell me."

"Well, I…um…wow, this is harder to say than I thought. I'm used to being the confident one between us," she smirked at her friend.

"Just say it," Sakura encouraged.

"Ok, here goes. I think I might like Shikamaru," she spoke as quickly as she could. Sakura just laughed in response. "Come on, Sakura, what's so funny? I thought we were supposed to be friends now," Ino slightly whined.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, it's just it _is_ ironic that you'd be the one to be nervous about that. Maybe that just goes to show how much you're in loooove with him," Sakura prodded.

"Shut up, forehead-girl," Ino retorted.

"Whatever Ino-pig." After a minute or two of staring venomously at each other, they both burst into laughter. "Ha, I just couldn't hold it in any longer. How on earth did we ever act like that before?"

"You got me. But I'm glad to have another girl to confide in again," Ino confessed.

"Me, too," Sakura replied. "Me, too."

Swallowing some food, Ino interjected, "Hm, so what kind of flowers do you want? Did you have anything in mind? Any colors you want to go with?"

"Well, I was thinking for this time of year, daffodils might be nice. What do you think?"

"That sounds good. We could also decorate the reception hall with plum blossom branches. They're already starting to bloom, too."

"Really? You can do that? That'd look great!"

"Well, we have to make the room look beautiful to make up for the ugliness of the bride," Ino chided.

"Ino!" Sakura growled at her re-discovered friend.

* * *

"SAKURA! We need to go RIGHT NOW!" her mother screamed up the stairs to her bedroom. 

"Coming, Mom! I'll be right down. I'm just about done with my hair," she called down to her mother. Sakura stood in front of her mirror, but her hair was already done. She faced her reflection, questioning if she could really do something like this. _Ok, just take a deep breath. There's no other choice right now, so I'm just going to have to go through with this. This is just part of the consequences for my decision before…I just hate having to drag Naruto and everyone into it…I hope they'll forgive me for what I've done. But no more negative thoughts, I've got to pull myself together._ Sakura was about to exit her room when she paused just for a moment to glance at her balcony door. _Sasuke-kun, are you really not coming back?_ And without receiving an answer, she walked out the door and carefully down the stairs to meet her mother waiting impatiently for her.

Despite her worry of being late, Sakura noticed that her mother smiled at the sight of her daughter in the wedding kimono. It was nowhere near as fancy as the one she had (secretly) worn prior, but it still flattered her nonetheless. Sakura gracefully stepped into her zori sandals, smiling to herself as she recalled her predicament with the tabi socks – she made sure not to make the same mistake this time, although she had her mother and grandmother to help her dress this time.

"Are you all ready then?" her mother questioned, her tone softened from her previous yelling.

"Yes, Grandmother already took the kimono and everything for the reception with her, and Dad was seeing to all the offerings for the ceremony."

"That's not what I meant." Her mother clarified, "I meant, are you ready for marriage?"

"Oh, that." Sakura mustered up the will to lie to her mother, "Of course I'm ready for this. Don't worry about me, Mom. I know what I'm doing."

"Well, then let's get going," her mother suggested as she smiled at her daughter. _It sure is hard to let go, but I guess I just have to trust her. I wonder if this is how my mother felt when I got married._ Holding out her arm, she escorted her daughter down the street.

_(Track 8)_  
Arriving at the shrine, Sakura found everything to already be in order. She swallowed down the sense of déjà vu to prevent the fact that she had already done this once before from invading her thoughts. But she couldn't keep his image out of her mind. At the start of the ceremony, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly in order to will herself to enter the shrine; and she felt the urge to cry when she saw Naruto dressed in his wedding garb, thinking of how horrible she was for asking him to do something like this. _I'll make it up to him…somehow._

Kneeling in front of the priest next to Naruto, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Now I'm starting to wish that Naruto had said no, or that I had never made the request. What was I thinking to go through with something like this? I should have just left in search of-,_ her thoughts were interrupted by a priestess placing sake cups in front of her. Glancing next to her and seeing Naruto's serious expression only made her feel worse. Shakily reaching her hand out, she took a sip from the first cup and swallowed back the sake and all her apprehensions. _What happens, happens I guess._

* * *

Sakura entered the reception hall having changed into a red kimono decorated with small flowers of an array of different colors. The aroma of cooked fish and rice met her nose as she and Naruto were formally introduced to the guests at the reception before taking their place at a table for the meal. Several rectangular tables were set up in the room, and all the other ex-gennin sat together at one table, while Sakura's family and some of the adults of the village sat at another. 

"Wow, Sakura looks really great in that kimono," Tenten commented to Ino.

"Yeah, she really does. I sincerely hope those two will be happy together," Ino wished to her friend.

"What are you two talking about?" interrupted an exuberant Lee.

"We were just talking about how pretty Sakura looks," Tenten answered her teammate.

"Yes, indeed! Sakura is quite the epitome of youth and beauty!" Lee declared.

"Of course," Tenten remarked sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

And in a flash of inspiration, or perhaps foolishness, Lee jumped out of his chair and stooped down on one knee next to Tenten. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Tenten. Of course you are also an example of youth and beauty"

A little uncomfortable with the attention suddenly drawn in their direction, Tenten quickly replied, "Uh, it's fine, Lee. Please get up before everyone gets the wrong idea." Ino giggled in the background and Neji glanced over with a raised eyebrow.

Without standing up, Lee continued, "Please, let me make this up to you. Allow me to take you to dinner tomorrow night."

"Fine," she answered quickly. "Will you sit back down at the table now?" Tenten pushed hurriedly, although a small smile played at the corner of her mouth despite the slight humiliation.

From the head table, Sakura saw that everyone was having a good time, and she slowly started to release all the fears she had pent up inside. That is, until she looked in the direction of the far end of the ex-gennin table, at the person sitting between Kiba and Shino.

* * *

"Well, that went well!" Naruto commented cheerfully back at his apartment. "Everyone seemed to believe us, so that's good." Naruto, Sakura, and her parents had just finished bringing over most of Sakura's belongings to his apartment, and her parents and grandparents had expressed their good wishes and good nights. And now, newly married couple found themselves standing facing each other from opposite sides of the bed. 

"Naruto…" Sakura trailed off.

"What is it?" he asked in response.

"Um, it's nothing. I'm kind of tired. Do you mind if I just go to sleep now?"

"No, that's fine. You take the bed, and I'll take the couch," he offered, gesturing toward the bed.

Sakura held up her hands in protest. "No, you should take the bed. This is my mess, so I should sleep on the couch."

"I can't sleep in my bed knowing there's a girl sleeping on the couch. What kind of guy does that make me?"

"It's ok. I insist, I don't mind sleeping on the couch. Really."

"I won't allow it. Go ahead and take the bed."

"I can't make you sleep on the couch. I'm already inconveniencing you way too much. Please, take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

Crossing his arms, Naruto insisted, "I'm not letting you sleep on the couch no matter what you say, Sakura-chan. You should sleep on the bed, especially in your…condition."

"Well, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch either," replied a slightly exasperated Sakura. "You're not going to give in and take the bed?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope."

Sakura sighed. After a few seconds of contemplation, she suggested, "Then if we're both going to be stubborn about this, why don't we both take the bed."

Naruto's arms that had been crossed quickly dropped to his sides. "What…?"

"I mean, if that's ok with you," Sakura added. "I'd rather have that than forcing you to sleep on the couch. It'll be fine. You'll sleep on one side, and I'll sleep on the other. No big deal," Sakura shrugged.

"Are you sure then?"

Sakura just nodded.

"Ok, then that's what we'll do then."

After getting ready for bed and changing into pajamas, they each awkwardly climbed into the one-person-sized bed, squeezing as far as possible to each side. Naruto turned off the lamp next to the bed and plunged the room into darkness.

"And don't try anything funny," she warned before trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in such a confined area. "I may be pregnant, but don't think I can't still beat you up."

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I won't. You have my word," Naruto replied seriously.

Sakura sighed before closing her eyes and began to drift off to sleep from the exhaustion of that day before hearing Naruto murmur "Good night," next to her. _He really is a great guy_, was her last thought before falling asleep.

"What took so long? I thought you would have been back hours ago."

"My apologies, Sasuke-kun. I ran into some old friends of yours, and one of them proved to be more of a challenge than expected. Nothing that can't be handled, of course, but it was enough to fatigue this body. That's why it took so long to return," Orochimaru explained.

"Hmmph. Well, are you still going to teach me that jutsu you promised?"

"Of course. But before that, tell me something. That pink-haired girl from Konoha, is she finally pregnant?"

Sasuke just narrowed his eyes at the Sannin. "So you knew where I went those times," he stated flatly.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't know who it was, but yes, I knew of your trips there. She was your old teammate, and she didn't fight at all in our meeting, so I thought maybe she was the one you chose and is now pregnant with your child," Orochimaru explained, a malicious grin flickering across his features.

"You don't object?" Sasuke questioned, although it came out more like a statement.

"Of course not. Kabuto told me she defeated a member of Akatsuki, so it sounds like you didn't make too bad of a choice. But you never confirmed if she was pregnant."

"She's not."

"Ah. Well, feel free to keep trying as much as you want. However, if you're still not successful, when the time comes, I can continue for you," he offered casually.

Still with no emotion in his voice, Sasuke replied, "Don't bother. I've already changed my mind on the matter."

"As you wish then, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru smiled. "Shall we go train then?"

"Yes."


	9. Chapter 9 Questions

Disclaimer: I really really wish I was the creator of Naruto, but that wish will never come true.

**_Chapter 9: Questions_**

The sound of food sizzling and dishes clacking filled the Haruno apartment as Sakura and her mother prepared dinner.

"You know, you and Naruto are welcome to eat with us any time," her mother invited. "You might as well since you do all the cooking here anyway."

"I know, I just think Naruto feels a little uncomfortable about it. He's afraid you'll think he's rude," Sakura explained.

"Tell him I think he's ruder for declining the invitation!" her mother remarked with a smile. "Why don't you two come over tomorrow night? I'm sure you'll be able to convince him with a little subtle persuasion of your monstrous strength." This was followed by a wink and a nudge.

"Mom!" Sakura whined. She then thought of a retort. "Although I suppose that's what you'd suggest since bullying everyone in the house is what your best at."

"Oh, ha ha, Sakura," her mother replied sarcastically. They smiled affectionately at each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow then! Good night, Dad!" Sakura called as she left the apartment to return home. She softly hummed a light tune as she walked along the road, carrying a container of food in each hand. She almost didn't notice a quiet voice greeting her. Looking up, her eyes met a pair of white ones.

"Oh, hi, Hinata. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought that I almost didn't notice you. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Are you on your way home?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, just bringing dinner home," Sakura replied as casually as she could. A few moments of silence transpired before Sakura added, "Um, would you like to join us for dinner? I have plenty of food for you, too."

"I better go home for dinner. We just got back from a mission this morning so I'm sure my father would want me to eat with them, I think," Hinata explained.

"Oh, how'd it go? And how's Shino and Kiba doing? I haven't talked to either of them since…" Sakura trailed off to think when the last time was before reluctantly finishing with, "…the wedding." She quickly glanced at the Hyuuga's face for any sign of pain, but all she observed was calm serenity in the girl's features. _Maybe she doesn't have a crush on him anymore_, Sakura thought. _That makes me feel a little better at least._

"The mission went well. We traveled to the Water Country for it. Kiba and Shino are also fine. Getting stronger all the time."

"Hmm, I do kind of miss traveling, or even just doing missions a little more difficult than weeding someone's yard. It definitely broke up the monotony," Sakura reminisced.

"Oh yes, I don't think I ever congratulated you on your pregnancy. So, um…congratulations. I hope it's going well. How far along are you?"

"It's going fine. I'm just about 4 months now," Sakura replied quickly. Things were starting to feel awkward again. "Well, I should get going before the food gets cold. It was nice talking to you."

"Yes, and maybe I'll come over to dinner some time. I mean, if you still want me to come over."

"Yes, of course! Anytime is fine. Well, have a good night."

"Good night." Hinata made a small motion for a wave and continued on her way to the Hyuuga complex.

Sakura heaved a sigh before continuing toward Naruto's…no, her and Naruto's apartment. Reaching the top of the stairs, Sakura balanced both food containers in one arm while fumbling for the doorknob. Luckily, Naruto heard her struggles and opened the door for her.

"Oh, thanks, Naruto!" she spoke cheerfully as she put the containers down on the table and walked over to the stove to turn it on. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes," she announced to him.

"How was your day?" Naruto asked her.

"Just the usual boring mission that followed Tsunade's extra harsh training. She's been particularly strict with me ever since I told her I was pregnant. I think she might be disappointed in me," she confessed.

"I'm sure she's not," he reassured. "Probably just trying to keep you challenged since you can't participate in more exciting missions anymore."

"Yeah, maybe. How was your mission? Where'd you go again?"

"The Water Country."

"The Water Country? Did you go with team 8 then?" Sakura inquired.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you that?" he asked innocently.

"No, you didn't, like usual," she replied curtly. _Way to make me look stupid in front of Hinata by not knowing anything, baka!_ "So how is everyone then? I ran into Hinata on my way home, and she seemed to be doing well." Sakura sat down and started to eat.

"Did you forget something?" Naruto prodded, staring directly at her.

Sakura looked down at the table. "Oops. Sorry, I forgot." Sakura started to get up, but Naruto stood up first.

"Don't worry, I'll get it. Is it ready?"

"Yeah, it should be done," Sakura replied as she watched Naruto walk over to the stove and pour out the contents of the pot into a bowl.

"Mmmm, nothing like instant ramen for dinner," he mused to himself as he sat back down at the table with a bowl of steaming instant ramen – with extra vegetable added at Sakura's insistence.

"You know, Naruto, my mother really wants us to eat dinner with them sometime. She says she wouldn't mind that you don't eat her cooking. So do you want to go over there for dinner tomorrow?" she asked gently.

Slurping up some noodles into his mouth, "If that's what you want, and if I still get to eat my ramen, then it's fine with me," Naruto replied cheerfully.

"It would make my parents happy, I think." _I wonder how they're going to take it when they find out the truth_, she thought to herself.

They finished eating their meal in silence. As they were carrying the dishes over to the sink, Naruto spoke up, "I'm going to go do some more training, if you don't need me to stay here or anything."

Sakura turned to him and smiled, "No, please go. We're not really married, so you don't have to ask my permission."

"It's still the polite thing to do, isn't it?" he commented with a smile. "I'll see you later!" And out the door he went.

Sakura sighed as she started washing the dishes. _When I finish up here, I should probably do some more training myself. I can't practice my combat, but I should still be just as disciplined in studying and learning new techniques._ Putting away the last of the dishes, Sakura went up to their bedroom and pulled out some scrolls from her pack. _Hmmm, there's still this one I can't seem to get. I guess I'll work on that one._

After a few hours with little progress, Sakura decided to quit for the night and take a shower. Feeling slightly more refreshed afterwards, she walked over to the mirror and started brushing out her wet hair. As the brush ran through her pink locks, her mind wandered back to the time when she announced her pregnancy to Tsunade:

* * *

"Good morning, Sakura," her teacher greeted. "Why don't we do some combat training today? We haven't done that for a while." 

Sakura's eyes were trained on the floor. "Um, that might not be such a great idea."

"Why not?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm pregnant."

"What! You just got married a month ago!"

"I know," she responded quietly. "What are the chances, right? I guess I just didn't have very good luck."

"I told you not to go through with this so soon."

"Yeah, I know. You were right, I was wrong. But what's done is done, right?"

"So what about Sasuke? Do you think you can still search for him in your condition? I guess you didn't think about either," Tsunade criticized harshly.

Against her will, tears began to well up in Sakura's eyes. "Do you think I don't realize how much this screwed everything up for me?" she shouted at her teacher. "Do you think I wanted this to happen? I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to it, but it's too late to take back now. So are you going to continue to train me or not? Because I'll leave now if you're ending our training now because of this."

The two females just stared keenly at each other for a few minutes. Neither could tell what the other was thinking. But finally, Tsunade broke the silence. "Gather your things and I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Tsuande-sama," Sakura replied as she walked out the door and headed toward their usual training area, while Tsunade remained seated at her desk, deep in thought.

_

* * *

(Track 9)  
Sasuke-kun, where are you? Have you even thought about me at all since you left?_

Sakura set the brush back down on the dresser, but didn't move from her position in front of the mirror. 

_Why did I agree to marry him? What was my reasoning? Was it all just an attempt to convince him to come back? Did I honestly think it was worth this?_ she thought as she stared down at her stomach. She had already begun to gain a few kilograms. _Why would I do this? Do I really think so little of myself that I was willing to let this happen to me? Is this really the kind of person I've become? Was I always like this, or was I different before? I can't even remember now._ One tear silently glided down her cheek. She quickly jerked her head away so she was no longer facing the mirror. Slowly, though, she turned back to stare at her reflection.

_Who am I? What kind of person am I? Why don't I know the answer to these questions?_ She thought long and hard back to her childhood. She remembered never thinking she was good at anything, that she never had the confidence to stand up for herself. And then Ino came along. And for a while, things seemed better. She had friends. And even though she still felt untalented next to Ino, the pain was still somehow lessened by being friends with her. But then the day came when she broke off that friendship. _Why did I do that exactly? I tried to motivate myself to grow stronger, but was that the only reason? Did I always see myself in this manner, though? As worthless? I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember! Who was I? Why am I like this now? What kind of person am I that I'd let myself get used like this? What kind of person am I that then, in turn, I use someone else to cover it up? What kind of person am I? Why don't I know!_ The last thought screamed inside her head as she plunged her head straight toward the mirror, her forehead crashing into the glass, causing spider web-like cracks to run from the point of contact out to the edges. One streak of blood ran down the surface. Then another. And another. Mirroring the tears running down her cheeks. But Sakura didn't move. She only stared. Stared into the distorted reflection of her eyes in search of some answers. She was so enraptured that she didn't even notice the sound of the door opening and footsteps moving toward the bedroom.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed when he saw before him his teammate seemingly frozen in place, her forehead pressed against a cracked mirror, with blood running down it.

The sound of Naruto's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up at her teammate with a confused expression. "Naruto. I, uh…"

Naruto quickly dashed over to her and grabbed the towel she had used to dry her hair to start wiping off the blood that was now running down her face. Sakura just smiled weakly at him as she pushed away his hand to heal her gash.

"See? No more cut. I'm fine now," she spoke. But she couldn't stand Naruto's gaze and shifted her own gaze off to the side.

Naruto furrowed his brow as he suggested, "Why don't we go out to the living room. I'll make you some tea and we can sit and talk."

Sakura just nodded silently and allowed Naruto to lead her out to the couch where she sat while he started some water boiling. Walking back over and sitting down next to her, he finally asked, "So what happened back there?"

Tucking her hair behind one ear, Sakura nervously responded, "It was nothing. I was just…well, my emotions are all crazy with all the hormones from being pregnant. I'm fine now, really," she attempted to reassure.

"You're not fine," he responded sternly. "And I may not know anything about being pregnant, but I know that wasn't a good thing. Come on, you can tell me. You know I'm always here for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know that. You're always here for me. You're someone I can always rely on," she murmured distractedly.

Naruto hesitatingly reached up and placed his hand on her cheek. She only flinched a little. "Hey," he spoke with concern, "are you ok?"

Sakura reached up with her own hand and pressed Naruto's hand harder against her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she soaked in the contact. When she opened her eyes, she found a pair of blue ones filled with sadness looking back at her. Such familiar eyes. Sakura quickly closed the gap between them as her lips found their way to his. She transferred her hand from on top of his hand to his cheek, and she placed her other hand on his shoulder.

Naruto left the hand that was on her cheek where it was, and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he murmured, "Sakura-chan," right before he broke off the kiss and pulled away slightly. He just stared at her, trying to figure out how sincere she was in her advances.

Looking up at him, she whispered, "You can have me if you like. It's not like you'll have to worry about me getting pregnant from it." She was about to lean in and continue the kiss they had shared when she jumped back at the whistle of the teakettle. Naruto quickly stood up to finish making the tea, while Sakura just leaned back into the couch and stared down at her hands as she interlaced her fingers.

A minute later, Naruto sat back down on the couch after setting two cups of tea down on the coffee table. Before he had a chance to say anything, Sakura blurted out, "You probably think I'm like this now, don't you? Someone who goes around sleeping with a bunch of guys?"

"Of course I don't. Sakura-"

"I've only slept with one guy," Sakura interrupted. She continued a little more softly but she still didn't look up, "I just wanted you to know that it was only one person."

Naruto mulled over what questions he should dare to ask; this wasn't exactly his area of expertise. "So what happened to him? Where is he now?" When Sakura didn't respond right away, he quickly added, "I mean, only if you want to talk about it. I don't want to push you to talk or anything." He explained while waving his arms in front of him, "It just seemed like you might want to talk to someone about it…"

"I don't know where he is," she answered bluntly.

"Oh, ok. I-"

"But I don't want to talk about it anymore. In fact, right now, I'd rather forget about it." She lifted her head and turned to face him finally. "But I can't, because of this baby growing in my stomach!" Sakura paused to let out a sigh, "Hm, I'm starting to not feel well. It's probably from when I was training earlier, and being pregnant I tire out more easily. So I'm going to go to bed now, if you don't mind." After taking a sip of tea, Sakura stood up. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have…" she trailed off as she plopped back down on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, alarmed.

"Nothing, I'm just a little dizzy." When the concerned look didn't leave his face, she explained, "It's a normal part of pregnancy. I get dizzy more easily, and I just stood up too quickly, that's all." She started to stand back up, but before she could take one step, Naruto stood up as well and quickly scooped her up in his arms.

"The least I can do then is carry you to bed," he remarked in his usual cheerful voice.

Sakura thought, _The way he can pull out that positive attitude never ceases to amaze me._ "Thank you, Naruto," she said with a smile, a little of her depression from earlier starting to slip away.

Naruto carried her back to the bedroom and laying her down on the bed, he threw covers over her. _Well, at least she's smiling again. I hate to see her so upset._ He glanced over toward the broken mirror.

Sakura, following his line of sight quickly spoke up, "I'll go out a buy a new mirror tomorrow. I'm really sorry-"

"Stop apologizing to me. I'm more concerned about you right now!" he spoke forcefully. Softening his expression, Naruto kneeled down next to the bed. "Do you regret that you…that you and I…" he trailed off.

"I don't know," she answered quietly. "I do know I regret ever getting myself into this situation. But I just don't know what to think anymore." She looked up and gazed at the face of someone she could always rely on. "I'm sorry I can't give you a clearer answer than that."

Naruto just stood up and turned away from her. But before exiting the room, he turned his head back toward her and kindly suggested, "Just get some rest. And please talk to me before you feel like breaking any more mirrors, ok?"

Sakura just looked up at him and said, "I'll do my best."

Naruto nodded and walked out of the room. Before he did that, though, a dark figure who had been watching from the shadows across from their living room window abandoned his hiding place and made his way along the rooftops of Konoha.

* * *

A few days prior. 

Sasuke walked through the Sound village and made his way to a shop he frequented to pick up some vegetables. He greeted the owner as usual, but the owner had nothing unusual to say to him.

Carrying the bag of groceries home, he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that had descended upon him since Orochimaru confronted him about Sakura. The sense had only been heightened by his dream the night before.

His dream had started where he was lying in his bed in his room at Orochimaru's quarters. However, when he rolled over, there was Sakura next to him. She smiled as she spoke the words, 'I've missed you,' and proceeded to kiss him gently.

Not realizing it was a dream, he quickly pushed her away and questioned why she'd risk coming to this place. At that point, her friendly smile took on a devious appearance as she said, 'But I'd do anything for you.' She climbed out of bed, and that's when he noticed her stomach was very swollen and that she was very obviously pregnant.

Sitting up, he quickly asked, 'Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?'

'Hmmm?' she mused. At that moment, though, she was interrupted from answering as Orochimaru strolled into the room. Sasuke quickly jumped in front of Sakura. But Sakura only walked out from behind him and next to Orochimaru, who immediately placed his arm around her. 'I guess I didn't tell you because it's not your child,' she finally answered. The last thing he saw of her face was that devious smile before it was covered with a kiss from Orochimaru.

Sasuke shuddered at the remembrance of the dream. _If she was pregnant, she would have contacted me by sending a blank letter to the grocer. The instructions I left for her at the inn were very clear on that._ But even though no blank letter had come, Sasuke just couldn't shake that feeling. _Then again, if Orochimaru knew that I went to Konoha, he might also know about the letters I had left for her at the there._ He paused to think the possible scenarios through._ No, it's unlikely he knows about that. I didn't stop at the inn until after I visited her, and since he didn't know her identity, more than likely the person hadn't followed me into the village and so probably not after Sakura and I…_ He didn't want to finish that thought.

_Well, maybe I'll try sneaking out to Konoha and checking just in case._ He took a few more steps. _But if everything is fine, then I'm only putting her in more danger if Orochimaru notices that I've gone back there again._ He angrily kicked a stone in his path as he continued to walk. _I never should have gone there in the first place. Well, what's done is done. Even if everything is all right, maybe I should visit her anyway. Tell her that I'm sorry, that I regret ever asking her to marry me in the first place. I shouldn't have done that to her. But if I'm noticed and draw attention to her…_

Sasuke looked up and noticed he had reached Orochimaru's lair. Sighing, he pushed open the entrance and walked into the dark interior.

* * *

After Naruto left the room, Sakura rolled onto her side and pulled the covers up to her chin as memories from the last 5 months flooded her mind. 

She thought back to how she had trained so hard under Tsuande. How her mother had realized how serious her feelings for Sasuke were. How Naruto looked when he first returned. The bell test with Kakashi. Her talk with Ino and her suggestion for cutting her hair. Her sparring match with Sasuke. Her fight with Chiyo-baa against Sasori. Their meeting with Itachi's clone, and then with Kabuto and Orochimaru. Her marriage to Sasuke. Her marriage to Naruto. Hinata sitting at the table at the reception. Her picnic with Ino. Disappointing Tsunade by getting pregnant. Having to deceive even her parents. Going out for dinner with Ino and Chouji. The day Sasuke spent with her at her apartment. The way he seemed to start to open up. How he left without a word. Her feelings when she realized she was pregnant. How Naruto was so reliable. The time they've spent living together. 4 months now. Running into Hinata on the way home. Kissing Naruto. Sleeping with Sasuke. The baby growing inside of her. The fear of not knowing whether she'll see Sasuke again. Not knowing what to do. How they only have a month left to find him.

_Only a month left, and in all this time he never came to check on me again. I really hoped he would stop by again. I thought he would have come back to make sure I was ok. But 4 months and nothing, and only one month left…it doesn't look like he's coming back. So what should I do? What can I do? There's no leads, no clues, no idea where to start looking._

Meanwhile, Naruto sat on the couch in the living room. He didn't want to leave Sakura alone in the room, but he didn't trust himself near her right now. His heart still pounded from when she kissed him. _But she still loves Sasuke, right? She's still trying to find him. We both are. Only one month left. But she still loves him right? She probably only kissed me because she was upset._ Naruto paused in his thought for a moment. _Is this how she got pregnant? She was upset, and someone took advantage of that?_ He balled his hand into a tight fist. _How dare anyone even think of using her. If I ever find out who did it…_

Naruto turned at stared at the closed bedroom door, and behind that door Sakura turned her thoughts from finding Sasuke back to what just happened that night. _I kissed Naruto. I kissed him. I was just upset, right? Well, I think it's clear I was upset judging from my performance with the mirror. But was that all it was?_ Sakura bit her lip in frustration. _I don't know what to think or feel anymore, but right now, we've got a month left and I've got to think of something!_

She let her mind wander back to every moment she had spent with Sasuke since he first surprised her on her balcony. And what was even more surprising now was recalling those events, despite everything, actually brought out a small smile. _He did seem really nervous that night_, she mused to herself. But then she recalled their first time together, and how he had left her so suddenly. There was no warmth in his demeanor, but there was still gentleness. And his words, 'I'm not trying to hurt you'. He had avoided kissing her that night, and 4 more times after that. But then the next time…her face grew warm just thinking once again of that time. The way he had kissed her. The way it seemed he almost needed her. _I didn't just imagine that, did I?_ she questioned herself. She turned and looked at the closed door knowing that Naruto was on the other side of it. _It's very different with Sasuke-kun than with Naruto…somehow. I feel like I should like Naruto. But when I think of Sasuke-kun, I can't help but to think of how much I feel for him. But then Naruto is so good to me, too. The night I was about to leave Konoha, without any hesitation he was willing to go to great lengths for me. I couldn't help but be moved by that. And if it weren't for him, I don't know what would have happened. Who knows what would have come of me if I went to the inn and found nothing…oh my gosh!_

Sakura immediately jumped out of bed. "NARUTO!" she called breathlessly. She heard his quick footsteps and a second later the door flung open.

"What is it?" he asked right away with a concerned expression on his face.

"It might not be much, but I might know of a clue to Sasuke-kun's whereabouts," she explained excitedly. "I'm an idiot for not checking this before."

"Sakura-chan, what are you talking about?" The look of concern had changed to one of puzzlement.

_Ok, I've got to tell the truth. It's now or never._ "Well, I…just came up with a dumb idea. Forget it. Why don't we just go to bed now, or do you want to stay up longer?" she said instead.

"Well, I guess I'm kind of tired myself, so let's just go to sleep."

Sakura nodded and she climbed back into bed but waited to fall asleep until Naruto had showered and joined her.

"So what was your idea anyway?" he asked as he lay on his back next to her.

"I'll tell you in the morning," she stalled. Turning her head and staring at his face, she rolled over to face him. And moving his arm she slid in next to him and let his arm fall back down to hold her. "Do you mind?" she asked quietly.

"Not at all. Whatever you need, Sakura-chan," he replied seriously.

She shut her eyes and tried not to recall a time when he spoke with that same serious tone. It was their second night of pretending to be married, and she had asked him one final time if he was ok with the fake marriage. This time, though, she had added the question of whether there was someone else he might have feelings for that this could ruin his chances with. And with that same tone of voice and his blue eyes trained on her, he replied, 'The only person like that, I'm already looking at her.' The intensity of his gaze coupled with the words he spoke had made her heart flutter a little.

* * *

A dark figure jumped from roof to roof, leaving behind the vicinity of the Uzumaki residence and making his way to the hokage building. Entering through a window of the hokage's office, an anbu walked around to the front of Tsunade's desk to make a report. 

"Why did you leave your post?" Tsunade questioned flatly.

"I thought you'd like to know that despite your suspicions the marriage seems to be real," the anbu informed.

"You left your post because of that?" she replied, annoyance clearing entering her voice.

"Well, they were going to spend some 'alone time' together, so I doubt she's going to before I return," he started to explain.

"May I remind you that there are two things you are watching for – that Sakura doesn't sneak out and that someone doesn't sneak in. The latter is still a possibility, so I highly recommend you return to your watch immediately. This information you provided could have waited until morning, don't make such a mistake again," she spoke harshly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the anbu responded quickly with a bow and hurriedly exited the office.

_Really, to abandon his post like that. Sometimes ninjas really do lack common sense. Hmph. But still, I'm surprised to hear that Sakura and Naruto really are…_

* * *

When the anbu had traveled a safe enough distance away, Sasuke gingerly stood up from his crouched position. He had had his own vantage point across from Naruto's apartment. 


	10. Chapter 10 Letters Written

Disclaimer: I asked to own the Naruto series for Christmas, but Santa didn't grant that wish.

**_Chapter 10: Letters Written_**

Sasuke came upon the all too familiar wall surrounding Konoha, and hesitated. He had already stopped at the inn and the innkeeper had said that Sakura never stopped by, and so now here he was back again, facing the village he had abandoned nearly 3 years ago…aside from his few previous visits to Sakura, that is.

But without letting himself form another thought, he launched himself over the wall and into Konoha. Sasuke carefully made his way along the rooftops until he reached the apartment building Sakura lived in. It was still early in the evening, but he wanted to check on her and depart again as quickly as possible to avoid suspicion from Orochimaru if he could. Also, since people would still be out and walking around, there's less of a chance of a sound-nin wanting to follow him into the village.

He dropped down silently onto her balcony after checking to make sure no one was in the vicinity. Being a warm evening, he found the doors already open, most likely to let a breeze into the room. He cautiously peered around the edge of the door to make sure no one besides Sakura was in the room, but what he saw shocked him even more. All of her furniture was still there, but everything else was gone, like she had moved out.

Puzzled, Sasuke slipped quietly into the room and confirmed his suspicion by checking her closet and drawers – all her clothes, everything was removed. Hearing movement in the apartment, he quickly snuck back out and climbed back up onto the roof.

_I wonder what happened to her. Did she leave Konoha? But if she did, why didn't she stop by the inn like I told her?_ Before he could decide what his next move would be, though, he caught sight of an orange and black jumpsuit. _Naruto? Wow, he's grown tall since I last saw him,_ Sasuke mused to himself before once again turning sullen at remembrance of their last meeting. _I certainly can't face him anymore because of that time…but I might have to in order to find out what happened to Sakura._

Unsure if he could actually go through with confronting the teammate he had tried to kill, Sasuke followed Naruto back to his apartment. But before he got too close, he noticed someone was already watching the building. Backtracking a bit, Sasuke came around from the other side behind the other observer to avoid being noticed. _Hm, I wonder what that's all about. I suppose with someone watching, the best option would be to henge and just walk right into the building._

He didn't have long to ponder this, though, because he looked up and saw Naruto and Sakura holding hands as they walked into the living room. _What the…what's she…_

Sasuke swallowed hard as he observed Sakura as sat down on the couch while Naruto walked out of sight, but soon came back and sat down next to her. He cursed the other ninja for being there because he couldn't get a better view into the room; Sakura's back was turned to him, and she was blocking Naruto from his sight. Like this, he couldn't use his sharingan to read their lips and figure out what they were saying and maybe discover why she was there and no longer living with her parents.

At least he had wanted to know until what he saw next.

_(Track 10)_  
He felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. But wasn't this what he wanted? He left so she could move on and find someone who could actually make her happy. And he couldn't think of anyone who could do that better than Naruto. So then why did he suddenly feel like _he_ was the one who was abandoned? _This is ridiculous, this is what I wanted for her. This is what she deserves. She's obviously fine, so I should just leave._

But he didn't leave. And he didn't notice that both of his hands had become tight fists at his sides.

The kiss didn't last long, though, and his eyes observed Naruto get up and a minute later return with two cups of something. This time, though, Sakura was turned and he could see her profile. It was enough for him to be able to read her lips.

"You probably think I'm like this now, don't you? Someone who goes around sleeping with a bunch of guys?"

With her head hanging down, he could just barely see Naruto's face overtop of her head. He saw him reply with, "Of course I don't. Sakura-"

To which she interrupted with, "I've only slept with one guy. I just wanted you to know that it was only one person."

_She's talking about us. Is she going to tell him it was me?_ he thought with a growing concern that temporarily replaced the feelings he had been experiencing up to that point.

Naruto responded, "So what happened to him? Where is he now?" There was a pause before he added, "I mean, only if you want to talk about it. I don't want to push you to talk or anything." He explained while waving his arms in front of him, "It just seemed like you might want to talk to someone about it…"

"I don't know where he is," he saw Sakura reply.

Naruto started, "Oh, ok. I-"

Sakura once again interrupted him. "But I don't want to talk about it anymore. In fact, right now, I'd rather forget about it." She lifted her head and turned to face Naruto, preventing Sasuke from knowing the rest of what she said. _Damn it! Well, I guess it's clear that she really doesn't care about me anymore. But that's what I wanted…wasn't it? It's just hard to actually watch it, that's all. From the way she was talking, though, I wonder if they've…_

_And I should have been expecting it anyway_, he switched to thinking instead as he recalled the time they went out dressed up together…and the time when Sakura mentioned she punched him for doing something perverted. _Maybe that perverted thing was some kind of flirting, and she didn't appreciate it then, but maybe now…_

He watched as she took a sip of the tea and then stood up before sitting back down onto the couch. A few seconds later, she stood back up, but so did Naruto, who then proceeded to sweep Sakura up in his arms. He finally had a clear view of Naruto's face, and he could once again see Sakura's profile. Sasuke's sharingan eye observed Naruto saying the words, "The least I can do then is carry you to bed," all spoken with a big smile on his face. He looked and saw that Sakura, too, was smiling cheerfully. And he watched painfully as Naruto carried her back into the bedroom. _This is what I wanted_, he assured himself. _This is exactly what I wished for her. This is…_

Sasuke noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and caught that the other observer was leaving. The person was dressed in an anbu uniform. _I wonder what he was spying for. Hn, oh well._ When the anbu had traveled a safe enough distance away, Sasuke gingerly stood up from his crouched position. He had seen enough from his own vantage point across from Naruto's apartment.

Once back in the darkness of the forests surrounding Konoha, Sasuke paused. Not quite beyond sight distance of the village, he was about to turn around and take one last look upon it, but changed his mind. He didn't look back the first time he left, why should he now?

But also not moving from that branch, he contemplated, _Even though I had only visited a few times, I never noticed how in such a short time, I got used to the idea that she…that we…but now she'd rather be with Naruto. Sakura and Naruto._ He clenched his left fist tightly._ Sakura and Naruto, together now._ Clenched it tigher._ Sakura's with Naruto now._ He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to slowly release his clenched fist.

_Did I actually think she'd still want to be with me? After all, didn't I even realize she'd be better off without me? Why would I even expect her not to move on when all my actions would push her to that. That was even the purpose of my actions._ He closed his eyes and tried to push all thoughts out of his mind. But visions of his last visit with her kept invading his meditation. He couldn't deny how it had felt to be with her. It had felt nice, comfortable, peaceful. Familiar and stirring at the same time. He ignored the fact that he knew very well that he didn't _just_ go to Sakura because he wanted heirs for his clan.

_Well, it doesn't matter anymore._ And with that thought, he violently shoved down all the feelings that had surfaced that evening, and maybe even a little remorse that this was the path he had chosen along with all the things that were a part of, or weren't a part of, that decision – something he hadn't let cross his mind since he left Naruto laying unconscious at the Valley of the End. But without deliberating too long, Sasuke quickly turned to return to the Sound village.

* * *

Sakura took a deep breath. Of the three things that Sakura has needed to confess to Tsuande, the first two being her engagement to Naruto and her pregnancy, this confrontation was by far the one she feared the most. Taking one more deep breath, she reached up and knocked on the door to the hokage's office. 

"Yes? What is it?" she heard Tsunade call from the other side of the closed doors.

"It's Sakura. I have a request to make."

_Sakura? This early in the morning?_ "Come on in," she replied. She eyed her student curiously as she entered the room and stood officially in front of her desk. "What's this request, Sakura?"

"I'd like you to send me on a mission. I think I might have an idea where to find information on Orochimaru's location."

Tsunade just stared dumfounded for a few minutes, very unbecoming for a hokage, before she found her voice again. "Would you like to give me a little more detail, like how you know where to possibly find this kind of information?"

Sakura let out a sigh before replying with, "Because Sasuke-kun came to visit me a while ago and possibly left behind information at an inn in Otafuku." _I can't believe I'm doing it. I really am telling the truth. We'll see what the consequences will be, though._

"I see. For the moment I'm going to ignore that you didn't report this visit to me," Tsuande responded curtly. "So then what are you going to do with this information, if it's there?"

"I'm going to find him," she stated boldly.

"No, you're not going. I won't risk-"

"He won't hurt me," Sakura interrupted her senior.

"How can you be sure?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Because…" she trailed off. Her hand instinctively went to her abdomen. _Ok, deep breath._ "Because this is his baby," she said blatantly, as there are only so many ways to reveal such things.

One eyebrow raised. "And the marriage with Naruto?"

"Fake."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Isn't it obvious? To explain my pregnancy."

"Ok…let me rephrase. Why did you lie about it?"

Sakura hung her head in shame. "Because, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. And I wasn't sure what everyone's reactions would be anyway. But time's running out, and finding Sasuke-kun is more important than my pride or reputation. I understand that I misled you, and withheld information dealing with a missing-nin, one with ties to Orochimaru, and for that I accept full responsibility and await my punishment." _There, that wasn't so hard._ "But whatever the punishment, if it could wait until after I go look for…."

"Give me a little more information on this possible…um, information you might have." Tsunade shook her head slightly for the redundancy.

Clearing her throat, Sakura explained, "Sasuke-kun told me that if I ever ran into trouble, to go to this inn. I don't know why I didn't think to check there before, but he might have left something that might give a clue to where he, and therefore Orochimaru, are staying."

Tsunade paused to think for a moment. "So am I to assume that he came to you and this was all his idea?"

"Yes."

"Hm-mm. And how often did he come?"

"About every few weeks, 6 times in total. But then, he changed his mind, I guess, and stopped coming. That was about 4 months ago."

Counting back for a moment, Tsunade then questioned, "So he doesn't know about the pregnancy."

Sakura just shook her head 'no'.

"Did he reveal any information on Orochimaru or the Sound to you during any of those times?"

Sakura once again shook her head 'no'.

"Well, I'm going to be straight with you. That was very stupid of you to give in like that. It's ridiculous that you'd sleep with him just because he asked you to," she patronized.

"Um, we're married."

"Oh, I see. Well, still…so he asked you to marry him first?" Sakura nodded. "Ok, um, I guess that's a little better then…but that was still a ridiculous thing for you to do and I expected better from you," Tsunade lectured, regaining her condescending tone toward the end.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade stared down at her student. _Well, I suppose neither one of us reacts well to love, do we? But maybe it's not too late for you. Maybe you agreed because you saw hope…it still was very stupid of you, though._ Tsunade tried to suppress a smile despite the seriousness of the situation and consequences for the student she had grown fond of over the years. "Fine. I would like you to investigate this lead, but return immediately if you find anything and we will figure out what to do from there."

"No," Sakura stated.

"Excuse me?" Tsunade asked with a little irritation creeping back into her voice. _She can also be very stubborn_, she added to her previous mental comments.

"I'd like to request permission to use a carrier bird so that I may follow any leads right away and still report back the information," Sakura requested professionally.

"So you think you're going to infiltrate Orochimaru's hideout by yourself then, do you? While you may have confidence that Sasuke won't lay a hand on you, I don't think you can apply the same to the rest of Orochimaru's men, not to mention Orochimaru himself."

"Well, I can't travel for as long in my condition, so I'm sure whoever else you send can easily catch up with me, and it will be that much less that I'm slowing the group down."

"I see. Does anyone know about any of this yet?"

"No, you're the first person I've told."

"Well, then I suggest you stop by and have a nice talk with your parents this morning. I think they'd like to know, and you don't have much time since I expect you to out of Konoha within the hour."

A smile grew on Sakura's face as she ran up and hugged her mentor. "Thanks, Tsunade-sama."

"I want to make it known that I still don't like the idea of you going in your condition, but it's your decision."

"This is something I have to do," she spoke softly in response. Sakura turned to leave the office, but before she made it to the door, Tsunade had one more question for her.

"So do you plan on going to Otafuku _all_ by yourself?"

"Well…"

* * *

For the second time with the same destination in mind, Sakura did one last check that she had packed everything she needed. She picked up the letter that she had planned to leave for her parents 4 months ago. _Should I just give them this letter, or tell them in person? I'm not sure which would be easier on them._

Sakura looked up as she heard Naruto walk through the front door. He had gone out earlier to do some training on his own. "Welcome back, Naruto!" she called out to him from the bedroom. Soon, his cheerful form was standing in the doorframe before a puzzled look creased his face as he noticed the pack.

"Are you going somewhere, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. I've been assigned a mission. Well, more like I requested to be assigned this mission."

"What kind of mission is it? Are you sure you're up for it? Is it dangerous at all?"

"Well, I'm not sure if anything will come of it, but I am going to Otafuku city in search of information," she explained as she stuffed away the letter and swung her pack onto her back. Walking past Naruto, she made her way to the front door. Naruto followed her.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You seemed pretty upset last night. Maybe you should wait a bit before you-"

Sakura prevented him from finishing his sentence with a shake of her head. "I've made up my mind." Placing a hand on her stomach absently, she clarified, "I'm going to search for the father…"

"I see…" Naruto responded distractedly.

Stretching her arms above her head and taking a deep breath, Sakura added casually, "And I better get going. There's only a month left before it could be too late."

"A month left…" Naruto trailed off as a look of realization came over his face. "Sasu…ke…"

But Sakura just opened the door and started to walk out before turning back to face a dumfounded Naruto. "So are you going to start packing or what? I'm going to stop by my parents, but I should be at the main gate in about 20 minutes." She just smiled as reassuringly as she could at her teammate who had yet to respond. "Don't tell me you don't want to go after I went to the trouble of getting Tsunade-sama to cancel your other missions so you could go with me..."

Not really sure what to make of the situation exactly, Naruto replied, "I'll be there. Don't leave without me."

Sakura left the apartment and Naruto went to pack things for himself, a thousand questions running through his head. Included among them were, _What was Sasuke thinking sleeping with Sakura? Did he force her? And why doesn't she know where you are now…Sasuke!_

* * *

Sakura arrived at the shop her parents owned. Since it was still early in the morning, there weren't any customers there. She pushed open the door and, not seeing her parents in the front room, made her way to the back. She hesitated a moment before walking up to her parents. 

"Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!" Sakura greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Sakura," her father responded, looking up from his work. Her mother smiled from where she was standing. "What brings you here?" he asked.

"Well, I'm heading off on a mission…in about 10 minutes, so I can't stay long. I'm not sure when I'll be back, either."

"Oh, you're traveling then? I thought you weren't going on those kinds of missions while you're pregnant," her mother spoke up.

"Well, this one was too important to sit out."

"Is it dangerous? You shouldn't take the risk-"

Sakura held up her hand before her mother could complete her sentence. "That's partly what the mission is about. And I'm already decided on this, so there's no use in trying to convince me not to go." Sakura paused to give her parents a chance to prepare for what she was about to say, if that were even possible. _Well, no use in stalling anymore, so here I go._ "Naruto and I aren't really married. In fact, this isn't his child. I know this must come as a shock, and I don't have time to explain the whole situation. I wrote everything down in this letter for you to read," she explained as she pulled the letter out of her pack, "but I wanted to at least tell you some of it in person. But this mission is to find the man I really am married to. I'm sorry I snuck off and did something like that. You have every right to be angry with me, and I don't even have a good explanation for why I did it. But trust me when I say I'm going to do everything I can now to somehow make it right."

She just stood there holding out the letter, waiting anxiously for her parents to give some sort of response. Her father eventually reached out and took the letter from her hand, but didn't say a word. Not really sure what else to do, Sakura gave them both a hug and told them that she loved them, and once again apologized for the mess she got herself in and for deceiving them all this time. Her parents just replied that they loved her, too, and wished her luck on her mission. They didn't know what else to say in that situation.

Walking down the street, Sakura saw the tall gates rise up in front of her. _I can't believe I'm really doing this. I sure hope we find something, otherwise…_

Sakura didn't finish her thought as she caught sight of Naruto already waiting for her. "Ready to go?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah. So where are we going again?"

"Otafuku. I'm lucky Tsuande-sama's letting me do this, so we better get going and I'll explain more on the way." And the two teammates set off in hopes of finding a clue to finding the missing third.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura finally arrived at the city, and after a little searching around and asking for directions, they were able to find the Good Luck Inn. Entering the establishment, they were met by a short older man with graying hair, presumably the owner. 

"Welcome, welcome. Are you young couple looking for a room for the night?" the man greeted.

Sakura walked up close to the counter and asked in lowered voice, "Did by chance a young man around my age, a little taller than me with bluish black hair leave anything for me here?"

His face brightened as he replied, "Yes, he did. You match his description perfectly. I was wondering if you were ever going to stop by. Although he said you might not. But anyway, yes, he left this envelope here for you. Along with enough money to stay here for a month. Will you be staying here, or would you like take your money with you?"

"Um, let me see what's in the envelope first and then I'll let you know if we're staying."

Sakura quickly snatched the envelope from the older man, muttered a thanks, and sat down on a bench in the lobby area. Naruto followed and sat down beside her. With a shaky hand, she carefully opened the envelope and pulled out its contents. The first letter seemed to have been written the first night he showed up. Scanning quickly through the lines, she read that he was grateful that she had agreed to do this for him, and that if there was something he could do later to make up for it, he would return the favor. He also left a few details like how much money he had left with the innkeeper, to send a blank letter to some address to let him know she was waiting for him, to leave instructions with the innkeeper if she left for anywhere else, the name of a good doctor if she was pregnant or got sick while she was staying, etc. It was all very planned out, but what else would have been expected from someone like Sasuke.

She flipped to the next page and her jaw dropped with what she saw. Not only was it a list of the locations of all of Orochimaru's hideouts, but also a detailed description of all the ninjas under Orochimaru's control. Quickly glancing through all of that, she came to the last page.

It was another letter, and it was from the last time she saw Sasuke. She saw an apology on the first line, and started to tear up. Suddenly remembering that Naruto was right beside her, she quickly folded the two letters and stuffed them back in the envelope; she'll read that last page later.

Naruto looked expectantly at her. Sakura smiled weakly and told Naruto, "It looks like Sasuke-kun's not loyal to Orochimaru after all. He left behind all the hideout locations, as well as information on all of the Sound nins. We'd be very prepared to scale a pre-emptive attack from this information. We also have a good chance of finding him within a month."

"I see. So what are we going to do now then?"

"Well, I'm going to send this information back to Konoha, and we already have permission to set out."

"So we're going to look for Sasuke from here then?"

"Seems that way."

"Then let's go!" Naruto exclaimed, seeming more like himself for the first time since they arrived in Otafuku.

"Well, first we need to come up with a plan. That and I'm craving something fierce. Let's go get a bit to eat first," Sakura rationalized.

"Whatever you want. I wonder if they have a ramen shop as good as Ichiraku…" Naruto pondered out loud.

Sakura just gave him a nice slap on the back before going up to the innkeeper to ask for the full sum that Sasuke had left for her. On the way out the door, she turned around and waved a cheerful goodbye to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper waved back and called out thanks for the generous tip she had left him. _I wonder what kind of teenage drama is going on with those kids. I thought she was supposed to be married to that other guy, but those two were wearing matching wedding rings._ But, he didn't think about it too much and went about tidying up the front area.

Meanwhile, sitting at a ramen shop, Sakura thought about what would be the best way to do this. She also used the time to memorize as much of the information Sasuke provided as she could before she'd send it back to Konoha, and had Naruto do the same.

While slurping up some noodles, Naruto asked, "So what's the plan? Are we just going to go around to the different hideouts until we find them?"

"Something like that. There's a number of places located far from each other, so it'd be inefficient to form multiple parties because no one would be able to meet up for battle, then and one small party, maybe two if we're lucky, would be able to battle. While that might work if we were just rescuing Sasuke-kun, it actually may end up with having to fight all of Sound, because Orochimaru will probably be extra cautious around that time. In that case, a small group won't be enough. But then having only us travel to the different villages to report information from one source point and then assemble a larger group for attack, well this is more time consuming, and we may end up being too late to do anything due to the support not being able to arrive on time. Sasuke-kun didn't give any indication if and when he was planning on betraying Orochimaru, so it's difficult to decide which would be the best plan of action since we don't know what kind of situation we would find when we get there."

"I thought you said we'd have a good chance."

"That was before I thought of the different scenarios that might require more than a small platoon executing a sneak attack."

"Oh."

After a few bowls of ramen, Sakura stood up from her stool. "Do you mind if I go think things over for a little bit by myself?"

"No, that's fine. Should I just wait for you here then?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah, I won't be long. Just keep trying to memorize as much information as you can until I get back."

"No problem. Oh, and I think we should do the larger scale attack," Naruto offered.

"Why do you say that?" Sakura questioned.

"I just think we should take the opportunity while we have it. Who knows where Orochimaru may run off to if we can't stop him this time. And I know we'll be able to make it in time," he assured. "Looking at the map and calculating all the distances, even accounting for slower travel in your condition, we should be able to hit all of the sites and call for back up before that day comes."

Sakura walked back over to the counter and looked at the map they had been scrutinizing while eating. "But if we hit the distant ones first and work our way back toward Konoha, there's a few places in between where they wouldn't make it from Konoha in time."

"No, but if we go in the opposite order, and we don't find them in these ones," he paused to point which locations he meant on the map, "then we can send word and they can station in Suna for us to contact so then they should be able to make even this farthest one in time."

"You know, I think you might be right – that just might work. Well, I'll be back in a little bit," she smiled at him as she left the shop.

Finding a secluded spot, Sakura took out the second letter that Sasuke wrote. Half an hour later, having returned to the ramen shop and officially decided on a plan, Sakura used the whistle she was given to call the carrier bird. Attaching all the information, as well as the details of their plan, to the bird's leg, she released it and watched as it took off in the direction of Konoha.

"Well, are you ready for this?" Sakura asked.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Naruto asked.

"For the last time, yes. I want to do this. Besides, we vowed to save him together, remember? And you'll protect me from any harm, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about, right?" she smiled as she poked her companion.

* * *

That night, after they finished setting up camp and had rolled out sleeping bags to sleep in for the night, Naruto finally worked up the courage to ask her, "So what happened? With you and Sasuke, I mean." 

And although Sakura opened her mouth to speak, she discovered that she couldn't actually form a response as the tears starting streaming down her face no matter how ardently she will them to stop. _Darn these hormones!_ she chided herself.

Insead of pushing for an answer from her, though, Naruto said the first thing that came to mind. "You don't have to tell me anything, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to upset you. But don't worry, we'll find him, and he'll be the same Sasuke from before. You know, back when we were fighting Gaara, he was ready to sacrifice himself so that I could take you away from there to somewhere safe. He really does care about you. And, and I know there's still the same Sasuke in him, even with the cursed seal. When he was trying to kill me, in the end, he could have, but he left me alive. And he even went to level 2. So I don't have any doubts it's still possible for us to save him, and I won't quit until we have him back," he ended emphatically.

Sakura's tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. Finally able to find her voice, she gasped out, "He…he tried to kill you?"

Naruto's voice lowered from its amplified state when he replied, "Yeah. I didn't really understand it, but he said that killing me had meaning, since he considered me his best friend…"

Sakura just continued to stare with wide eyes, trying to wrap her mind around what Naruto was saying to her.

Seeing that he only upset her more, Naruto quickly added, "But it's a good thing, too, because that means he thought of me as his best friend. See? He did grow attached to us. He'll remember that. We'll make him remember. After all, he'll never not be a part of Team 7 as long as we have something to say about it."

Sakura thought about that for a moment before replying, "Yeah, you're right, Naruto. I really needed that. Thanks," Sakura spoke, a smile starting to form even from behind her tears.


	11. Chapter 11 Fighting Words

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. There, I said it.

A/N: I apologize in advance for not putting in more details for the battle. I would have if I thought I could do even a half-way decent job. So please just use your imaginations to fill in the gaps. I hope the chapter is still good enough, though, and it's the longest one yet. Please review and let me know!

_**Chapter 11: Fighting Words**_

Sasuke squarely faced Orochimaru. They were standing outside the complex the Sound were currently residing in. Both were grinning ear to ear.

"You didn't think I'd just let you take over my body without a fight, did you?" Sasuke challenged.

"Don't be conceited. You can't beat me, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru replied back. "But you're certainly welcome to try. Whatever you wish. And don't worry, I'll indulge you a little and keep this a one-on-one battle. No one attack until I say otherwise," he ordered the other Sound ninjas who had raised their weapons at Sasuke's announcement.

"You'll regret those words," Sasuke spoke as he rushed in toward the opponent he hoped to defeat.

Everyone watched as the two fought against each other. Snake jutsu flew back and forth, as well as the occasional fire and earth elements. After half an hour, neither had been able to land even one hit. Breathing heavily, Sasuke cursed himself for not being better than this. _If I can't even beat Orochimaru here, there's no way I'll be able to defeat him…_

Clenching both fists and renewing his intensity, he once again ran in to attack. However, Orochimaru just laughed.

"You'll never be able to beat me like that. Pathetic that you still need the curse seal in order for you to be strong. Allow me to help you open that up," Orochimaru offered as he smiled venomously. At his words, Sasuke cried out as the curse seal quickly flared up and spread out over his entire body. Doubling over in pain, he glared menacingly at the seal's creator. Orochimaru slowly approached his prey and called the order for his men to take Sasuke away to be locked up until the time for the body-switch arrived. Three days yet.

Two Sound nins complied and walked over to Sasuke and pulled him back up to his feet. He unexpectedly punched the one to his right and was about to attack the one on his left, but the pain slowed him down just enough that the ninja was able to block his attack as he looked over at his fallen comrade who was now standing back up. Orochimaru just laughed at his pupil's perseverance, and started to speak, "It was a nice attempt, but it looks like it's over-"

The snake man was cut off in mid sentence as the two Sound nins holding Sasuke suddenly released henge. His eyes widened as he recognized them before regaining his composure and letting out another laugh. "You would have been better off to keep your disguise and sneak him off when I wasn't looking. Leaf ninjas have always been so foolish," he commented. "Especially you, Naruto-kun. Was this your plan?"

"You better believe it!" Naruto responded. "And it was just because I wanted to tell you face to face that Sasuke is our teammate, and we will never let you take him over. We're a team, and we will defeat you!"

Sasuke showed no expression on his face, although he was internally relieved to note that the one he had punched turned out to be Naruto and not Sakura.

"That's right Orochimaru, we can defeat you with teamwork," Sakura joined in. "Nothing can break the bonds we share, not even you. We will always fight to protect each other no matter what, and that's something you can never understand."

"Yeah! We'll always be better than you because of that. Teamwork conquers all!" he shouted as he pumped his fist in the air. "Are you ready to fight Sakura-chan?"

"You bet, Naruto!"

Orochimaru waited patiently for the Leaf nins to charge in for attack, not even bothering to fall back into a fighting stance.

"Ready…and…go!" Naruto shouted as he rushed in for Orochimaru while Sakura dashed in the other direction, scooping up Sasuke and throwing him over her shoulder on the way.

"After them!" Orochimaru managed to shout before an enraged Naruto slammed into him with a punch. Immediately about half of the Sound nins who had been standing around watching the fight broke into a chase after Sakura and Sasuke, who had already managed a large lead due to the element of surprise and Sakura being able to increase her speed significantly with precise chakra control adding to her strides.

"Would you mind giving me a hand and doing something about them?" Sakura asked as she continued to speed up. From the awkward position of being carried, Sasuke managed to do a few seals and a massive fire element attack burst forth from him, completely blocking all the pursuers from sight.

"Perfect," Sakura commented as she used a burst of chakra to completely alter her path and jump up among the trees surrounding the complex while a bunshin continued running straight ahead. When she had felt they had gotten far enough away and weren't being followed, she finally stopped and set the Uchiha down on the ground.

"Why did you come for me?" he asked angrily.

"Hm, that doesn't sound like a very grateful tone considering the fact that we just saved you," Sakura replied casually as she pulled out a tarp from her pack and spread it on the ground. "Sit," she ordered.

"I would have escaped on my own," Sasuke muttered as he obliged and sat down in the middle of the tarp. _I wonder what she has in mind,_ he started to contemplate as she walked up behind him. He noticed she kneeled down behind him followed by grabbing the bottom of his shirt to pull it up over his head.

"What, ah, what are you doing?" he called out in surprise.

"You want to go back and fight, don't you? And you should probably get this thing re-sealed before doing that," she explained, in reference to the markings covering his body, in a casual tone that surprised even herself since she could practically hear her heart pounding within her chest. He was here, right in front of her. She wanted to hug him and hold onto him so he could never leave her again, but she restrained because there were more important things at hand right now, and she wasn't sure how he'd react to her affection anymore. Not that he had ever really had a positive reaction to it.

"You know how to do that?" Sasuke questioned.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei taught it to me a while ago when I asked," she replied as she pulled out a brush and a container of ink from her pack. "Now just hold still as best as you can, this will take a little while."

He didn't make any attempt to respond. After a few minutes of silence, though, he finally spoke up again. "So are you just going to leave Naruto in there by himself?"

"He can handle himself. Besides-"

"Someone's coming," Sasuke interrupted suddenly as he strained to get up and stand in front of Sakura, holding out a weapon for defense. Sakura also got up and stepped up beside him and positioned herself in a fighting stance.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted as he dropped down from among the trees.

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief and pushed Sasuke back down into a sitting position so she could continue drawing out the symbols. "So has the attack begun already?" she asked him.

"Yes, it's started. And Suna has joined us as well, since they owe us from the Sound attack from before. And with the information you provided, Sasuke, everything should be ended quickly and with little damage to our side."

Sasuke just grunted for a response.

"How'd you find us?" Sakura asked.

"Well, it was hard to miss the katon…so from that I was able to catch sight of you and traced the path you took from there," he explained. "But enough chit chat. I should head over to the battle now. Just in case, can I borrow some seals in case Naruto…goes a little too far?" he requested.

"Yeah, sure," Sakura replied as she paused in her writing to pull out from her pack some seals to contain the kyuubi's chakra and handed them over to Kakashi. "And…make sure he's ok. Orochimaru should be a little exhausted from his fight with Sasuke, but he's still a formidable opponent."

"Don't worry, Sakura, I was going to check on him right away," Kakashi remarked with a cheerful smile. Turning more serious, he informed them, "We have a makeshift base set up about 800 meters from here in that direction." He turned and pointed as he spoke before straightening back up and giving his farewell as he took off in the direction of the battle.

Sakura was about half-way finished with the preparations for the seal when she finally broke the silence that had descended between them in the meantime. "Thanks for everything you left me at the inn. The information you provided was really useful."

"Hn," was his only reply. But a minute later he added, "That was quite a speech back there."

"Can you guess who came up with it?" she joked. "But really the whole plan was Naruto's idea, and it seemed to work pretty well."

"So how long have you and Naruto been here?"

"We killed those two and we've been disguised among the Sound nin all this week, but we found the hideout a week and a half before that. Since from your letter we knew that you didn't plan on attacking until sometime in the final week before the body-switch, we didn't infiltrate until then so it reduced the risk of getting caught, not to mention having the information to better impersonate two of the ninjas." She paused for a moment. "Um, thanks also for the letters you wrote. I appreciate everything you set up to make sure I was taken care of. And I can give you your money back. But for the second letter…"

"Forget about it, you don't have to thank me, and you can keep the money. You deserved much better," he cut her off. "I shouldn't have done it in the first place. But you don't have to worry about me trying anything like that with you again. Especially now since-"

"Did you really think just leaving me was the best thing to do? You didn't say a word to me, just left me there wondering what you were thinking…what you were feeling." Her voice was starting to rise in pitch.

"Well, you know now from the letter," he snapped at her. "Besides, it doesn't really matter anymore now. What's done is done." He let out a sigh. _This isn't the way I wanted things to be. _He tried again, removing the frustration that had crept into his voice. "I never should have done…never should have done what I did to you. Do you…hate me for that? Are you here only out of obligation to rescue your ex-teammate? Or just to stop Orochimaru?"

Sakura hesitated for just a split second in drawing out the markings before responding as she continued her work. "No, I don't hate you," she answered softly. "I just wish you'd talk to me about things. Especially before making a decision like breaking off our marriage. You should have discussed that with me first, asked _me_ what's actually better for me."

_Ouch. But I guess she's right, I should have talked about it with her first before leaving._ "I'm…I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely.

"I know you are," she replied. "Well, I'm finished with the preparations, are you ready?"

"Yeah." He suddenly felt self-conscious and exposed, but maybe that was just due to being shirtless in front of Sakura with their past…situation…in mind.

"All right, I'm going to need you to help put the curse seal back as I do this. Ok?"

"Yeah."

Molding her chakra, Sakura formed the various seals just as Kakashi had taught her and slammed her palm down on top of his mark. She watched as the markings slowly retracted back to the source on the back of his neck and soon a circle form around it. She heaved a sigh of relief that she was actually able to do it.

"Well, it looks like you're all ready to go," she commented as she helped him stand up. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

"Just trying to help. Remember, though, that it's dependent on your will, too."

"Don't worry about me, I can handle it." An awkward silence passed between them. He took a few steps and noticed Sakura wasn't following. "Aren't you going to fight, too?"

_He actually acknowledges that I'm good enough to fight in this type of situation?_ Sakura held back the swell of emotions that rose up at the compliment. She had promised herself she wouldn't get emotional until after the battle; she needed to keep her head in a situation like this. "Um, sorry," she apologized as she snapped back into action and gathered up the supplies she had used for the sealing process. "I'm not going to be fighting. From what Kakashi-sensei says, there should be plenty for offense so my medical abilities will probably be more useful. I'm going to head back to the base."

Sasuke just nodded in response and started walking again. He had only taken a few more steps before Sakura nervously added, "That…and I shouldn't be fighting anyway. Because, Sasuke-kun, I'm…I'm pregnant."

His steps faltered for a moment before he picked up his stride again. _So that explains why she's put on a little weight._ "Make sure you take good care of yourself then," he warned before taking off at a full sprint. _I suppose I should have congratulated her, for the marriage with Naruto and also now for the pregnancy, but I just couldn't find the words._ When she had pushed him back down during Kakashi's visit, he noticed she was wearing a wedding ring, and it wasn't the one he had given her. She must have noticed it then, too, because she wasn't wearing it anymore after that. _Well, at least she said that she doesn't hate me. Maybe if I ever return to Konoha, we can still pick back up as friends._ But he temporarily pushed all such thoughts out of his mind as he prepared for battle.

Meanwhile, Sakura just stood unmoving as Sasuke's form disappeared from sight. Eventually, though, she forced herself to start walking, then jogging, then full-out running toward the base, anything in an attempt to not think about Sasuke's reaction, or lack of one, to the news she thought he would have been at least a little happy to hear. A minute later she had arrived to find that even more ninjas than she had expected had come to form the attack.

Sakura quickly found the hokage and prepared to make a quick report. "Tsunade-sama, I have taken care of Sasuke-kun's curse seal and he has re-entered the battle. Naruto was fighting Orochimaru when we had fled. I am ready to go wherever you order me."

"Good. Don't worry, Naruto wasn't fighting alone. But I want you staying away from battle. Take care of everyone's wounds as they're brought in. I'm leaving you in charge of things here."

"Understood. But shouldn't Shizune be the one in charge?"

"She didn't come," Tsunade answered plainly. "I'm counting on you." And with that she set off to find her own former teammate.

* * *

A few hours after Tsunade had received the information from Sakura and Naruto, she still sat at her desk processing all the information and the plan they had devised when she heard a knock at the door. 

"Come in," Tsunade called out.

Shizune walked into the office and asked, "Have you decided on a plan of action yet?"

"No, not completely decided yet."

"I see. Well, the elders should be here in half an hour. Will that give you enough time, or would you like me to stall them for you?"

"Half an hour, huh? Well then I guess this will be it," Tsunade remarked as she handed a few sheets of paper over to Shizune. "This is a list of everyone I want to be on standby for the attack. I'd like those people to be contacted as well as someone sent to Suna to explain the situation and ask for assistance immediately after the meeting if the elders have no objections to my plan. Oh, and have Kakashi come see me right away."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama," Shizune complied as she glanced down through the list. A good number of the older ninjas were on there, along with Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai's teams. "Wait a second…my team's on here, but my name's left off the list."

"That's right," Tsunade replied.

"But…why?" her friend questioned.

"Because I'm going. And I need someone here I can rely on to take care of things, especially in the event that we fail and a battle ends up in Konoha."

"But with all the information we have, and not knowing any reason for Suna to not comply, we should have no trouble with succeeding in our attack."

"I don't know if I can trust this information. I don't know if we can trust Sasuke. This information may be something to entice an attack and end up being a trap. I have to go, so I'm asking you to stay here because you're the person I can rely on most. Please, do this favor for me," Tsunade pleaded.

"I understand, and I'll send for Kakashi immediately." Shizune bowed as she left the room and proceeded outside in order to await the arrival of elders, a small smile creeping into her usual worried expression at the great compliment.

Once she had the room to herself again, Tsunade called out in the general direction of one of her windows, "So are you going to join me in one last fight against _him_?"

A white-haired ninja flung himself up over the windowsill and landed behind her. "So you knew I was there. Hmm, my peeping skills must be slipping. At any rate, I will definitely join you as long as you promise not to poison me this time," he remarked with a smirk. "So, how exactly did you come across this information from Sasuke?"

"Well, it's a bit of a complicated story. Meet me later tonight and I'll explain everything," she commanded in her hokage voice as she heard a knock at the door.

"As you wish, Tsunade," Jiraiya bowed as he slipped back out of the room.

"Enter," Tsunade called to Kakashi, who seemed almost a little nervous.

"Is it what we suspected?" he asked her immediately.

"It is."

"So Sasuke did come back," he mused to himself. "So what's the plan?"

"I'm sending her and Naruto in alone, while we prepare for a full-scale attack on the Sound."

"Do you think that's wise? Do you think they can handle it?"

"They're smart kids, and Sakura will prevent Naruto from doing anything foolish…I hope. They sent me their plan, and it seems like it just might work, provided we get there in time."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with them at least?"

"No, I think they need to work some things out by themselves along the way. And we'll send someone in ourselves as soon as we arrive."

"The elders won't be happy about this."

"Of course they won't," Tsunade smiled deviously.

* * *

Just as predicted, Konoha and Suna easily overpowered the Sound ninjas, and there were very few casualties for Sakura to heal and even fewer deaths to report. As Sakura was just finishing healing someone, she overheard Asuma reporting that all the Sound had either been captured or killed, and all who remained were Orochimaru and Kabuto themselves. 

_Well, that's good and bad news at the same time_, Sakura thought. _I wonder how Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone else are doing. I haven't seen any of them come in for treatment, so that's probably a good sign. I wonder how Tsunade is fairing. I guess her battle's not over yet. I wish there was something I could do to help her…_

At that moment a good distance away, Sakura was surprised to see a huge plume of smoke, and when the air cleared, she saw the form of a giant snake. A few seconds later, a giant frog appeared in the same manner.

"Could that be the Sannin?" Sakura overheard someone ask.

"No, it couldn't be, they're still fighting right outside the hideout, that's way too far away to be them."

_Oh no! That must mean it's…_

Sakura immediately took off in a sprint, slowing down just enough to hand her clipboard over to one of the upper medical nins and command him to take charge.

Arriving in the vicinity of the area, Sakura quickly made the deduction that if she didn't want to get trampled, she better summon her own animal. Pausing to mold chakra and saying a quick and desperate prayer that this wouldn't drain her too much and risk hurting the baby, she bit her finger, made the seals, and slammed her hand down to the ground. Seconds later she found herself standing high in the air on top of a giant slug.

Naruto and Sasuke, who were standing on their respective toad and snake, both turned in her direction in shock.

* * *

Naruto now was left to face Orochimaru right after Sakura carried Sasuke away from there; Orochimaru had already gotten up unharmed from Naruto's punch. Naruto paused for just a moment as Sakura's words replayed in his mind. 'Whatever happens, you can't let the kyuubi take over. Sasuke seems to be on our side, so there's no need to lose your temper,' she had warned concernedly. They had spent time everyday during their traveling working on him calling on the kyuubi chakra without it getting out of control. Every time he had failed. But this time it really counted, and for Naruto, that gave him the best odds for success. 

The first thing Naruto tried was kage bunshin no jutsu. Immediately the area was filled with his clones. Although Naruto rushed in right away, Orochimaru quickly summoned kusanagi and began destroying the clones around him with the sword.

"Do you really think you'll be able to defeat me without turning into the beast like last time?" Orochimaru taunted him as he destroyed 10 more clones.

Ignoring Orochimaru's words and trying to think of a plan as quickly as he could, Naruto had 6 clones that were positioned behind Orochimaru form 3 rasengans. As they each rushed in from different directions, Orochimaru was able to effortlessly dodge every attack without even turning around to look and slid in next to one of his own men only to be caught off guard with a quickly formed, one-handed rasengan to the stomach. Unfortunately, Orochimaru was able to react in time and didn't sustain too much damage from the surprise attack.

"Not bad, Naruto-kun. I see you've learned some strategy from that fool, predicting my movements to push me toward that disguised guard. By the way, Jiraiya, no need to keep up the henge any longer," Orochimaru spoke.

The Sound nin who had just delivered a rasengan changed in a puff of smoke into the familiar form of Jiraiya. "How'd you know it was me…Naruto?"

"Easy, Ero-sennin. I caught you peeping on the girl's bath area earlier this morning."

Jiraiya just scratched the back of his head and commented to himself, "I guess my skills really are slipping. That's twice now I've been caught in a span of only several weeks. Ah well. Are you ready to die this time, Orochimaru, or do you plan on running away again like last time?"

At that moment, the rest of the ninjas from Konoha and Suna infiltrated the area for attack. Orochimaru growled in frustration and barked orders for everyone else to commence a counterattack. While everyone took off, Orochimaru and Kabuto were left to face Jiraiya and his student.

"Let me do most of the fighting. I have a feeling that woman's here somewhere, too, and your body is degrading worse by the day so you'll need to conserve as much as you can," Kabuto offered out of earshot of the other two.

"Kabuto, don't patronize me," Orochimaru warned creepily. "I want you to take care of the brat, I'll handle Jiraiya. It'll be just like old times," he reminisced.

After about half an hour, Sasuke arrived, followed by Tsunade a few minutes after him. She commanded Naruto and Sasuke to help out elsewhere and to leave this battle to her and Jiraiya. The two boys complied, although not without some protest from Naruto, and left the area to fight the other Sound nins, side by side.

When it seemed the Sound were all but defeated, Naruto turned to Sasuke and suggested, "Why don't we go check on Jiraiya and Tsunade. I bet those two old geezers could use our help."

"Probably not. Even with Kabuto in top condition, Orochimaru's body should already be tired from his fight with me and it's probably failing him by now. He can't defeat both of them in that condition. Besides, they wouldn't want us to interfere in their fight, I'm sure you can at least understand that. I'm leaving."

"What! After we came all this way to rescue you, you're just going to leave again? What about Sakura? Don't you care about her anymore? Didn't she tell you she was pregnant?"

_So this is the game they're going to play. Hide their marriage and pretend that it's my child to convince me to go back with them. I didn't think they'd try deceit like that._ "I haven't fulfilled my goal yet. I won't return until then." Sasuke immediately took off running, away from the battle scene, and away from his two friends who wanted him to stay with them.

Naruto wanted to check on Jiraiya and Tsunade first, but he was afraid he'd lose Sasuke's trail in the meantime. _I sure hope Sasuke's right that they'll be fine._ He quickly took off after Sasuke and was able to intercept him some distance away.

"Did you really think I was just going to let you run off again? You belong in Konoha, and I'm not going to stop until you agree to come back with us," Naruto shouted adamantly.

"I don't want to fight you, Naruto. Just leave."

"Never, jackass." Fury started to rise in his voice. "I don't understand what happened between you and Sakura, why you came back and why you left again. But if this is all that you're going to do, just leave without a word to her again, then I wished you had never come back in her life! I don't know why she ever covered for you!" _She even kept it from me_, he thought sadly. "She deserves better than you!" he shouted

"So then why do you want to stop me?" Sasuke challenged. "If I'm so horrible for her, then why not just let me leave and you can take care of her?"

"I'm bringing you back regardless. But if you don't even care about her anymore, then I'll make sure you really pay when we get back," he growled. "Sasuke!"

"Fine…Naruto!" he shouted although his thoughts were somewhere else. _You're better able to take care of her than I am, Naruto; it's better this way._ Not dwelling on that topic for too long, he quickly switched his thoughts over to tactics,_ How can I do this without trying to fight him? I guess I could always try that, and maybe I can make an opening to escape without having to hurt him this time._ Sasuke lifted up his left sleeve to reveal a tattoo running up his arm. Biting his finger, he smeared his blood along his arm and summoned Manda. Naruto wasn't far behind with calling upon Gamabunta. They both stood their on their respective summons while they each plotted their strategy. A few minutes later before either had made the first move, both turned in surprise to see that another member had joined the battle as she suddenly was standing atop Katsuyu.

"Not this set up again," Gamabunta commented.

"Sakura-chan, since when could you...?" Naruto asked in shock.

"Don't sound so surprised, I've been able to do this since before you returned from your training. You didn't think I was going to let you two leave me behind, did you?" she asked, meaning both in training and this battle. She leaned down and whispered to the slug, I'm in no condition to fight, Katsuyu. I want you to mainly focus on defense, ok?"

"Of course, Sakura-san," the slug acquiesced.

"Heh," was Sasuke's only response. _This is going to be even more difficult to escape without a fight. I suppose the best strategy would be to try to somehow capture Sakura and use her to get Naruto to give up the fight and make my escape. I'll have to be careful, though, not to hurt her…or their baby._ With his mind set on his plan, Sasuke leaped from Manda over toward Katsuyu, but had to quickly change his trajectory when he noticed a glob of poisonous saliva heading his way and landed in a tree next to her.

"Katsuyu! What are you doing? I said defense. By all means, don't try to kill him!" she whispered emphatically.

"Forgive me, Sakura-san, you didn't specify not to hurt him. But that certainly makes defending you more difficult."

"I'm sorry, just do your best."

Sasuke, noticing that Sakura was in conversation took his advantage and jumped in from the side. He was about to pull her off when a yellow-haired blob came flying at him and both of them went soaring down onto the ground.

"How dare you even think of attacking Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed as he landed on top of Sasuke and began punching him furiously. And despite all the accusations he made earlier, he shouted at Sasuke, "I told her you cared about her. I thought she meant something to you, you bastard! I really believed that! Don't you care!" But Sasuke just lay there and took every punch without saying a word.

From on top of Katsuyu, Sakura murmured to herself, "This isn't right. This isn't how it should be. We shouldn't be fighting each other." She had just finished speaking those words when she watched in horror as Naruto was already growing one chakra tail. As the second one started to form, she instinctively reached in her pack for a seal. _Shit! I must have given them all to Kakashi-sensei! What am I going to do? I have to stop him somehow._ Pausing for just a moment, she decided it was worth a try.

Quickly jumping down from the slug, she ran over to the two boys, forming a number of seals on her way. "Naruto, stop! We're not going to do it like this. Can you hear me!" she cried. But already a third tail was sprouting. _I guess I have no choice._ Finally within reach, and with her left hand firmly behind her right, Sakura slammed her palm at the base of Naruto's spine, only to be flung back and knocked unconscious from the power of the kyuubi's chakra.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out as she sat up with a start. Taking note of her surroundings, she found that she had been propped up against a tree, and Naruto, who was still unconscious, was sitting next to her. 

"I'm right here," Sasuke spoke from behind her.

Startled, she snapped her head around quickly to confirm with her eyes that indeed he was still there. "How long was I out?" she asked, still a little groggy.

"Just a few minutes. You burned your hand there pretty good doing whatever it was you were trying. I put some salve on it and bandaged it up. Your chakra is running pretty low, most likely due to the large summoning you did, so if the pain's not too bad I'd recommend letting someone else heal it. You really should take better care of yourself. What would Naruto say if he knew you took such a foolish risk not only of wasting your chakra, but…well you're lucky I was able to catch you before you crashed into anything and could have lost…"

"Sorry," she muttered. "I figured if I didn't summon Katsuyu, you guys wouldn't even notice I was there. What were you fighting about anyway? You weren't trying to run off again, were you?"

"Hn."

Sakura sighed and shifted her sitting position. _I wonder why he didn't take off already, he had the perfect chance while we were both unconscious._

"So what was that technique you were trying?" Sasuke finally asked.

"Well, I didn't have any seals to stop his transformation with the kyuubi chakra, so I thought I'd try this jutsu I've been studying that's supposed to shut down the chakra system. It probably doesn't work if the chakra is a lot stronger than your own, though, as you saw the results," she explained. "But at least it stopped him," she added as she looked over at Naruto, relieved.

"What's so bad about it?"

"Well, if it goes too far, for one he goes into berserker mode. But being in that state also burns off his skin and shortens his life span."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and he does it for you, you know. In order to be strong enough to rescue you. But unfortunately he can't call on it without losing control." Another short silence passed between them before Sakura spoke up again. "So you're just going to take off again, huh?" She started to stand up and was about to bend down and pick up Naruto and return to the base when Sasuke gave her a surprising answer.

"And exactly what would I have to return to? Punshiment and being restricted from carrying out my revenge. Tell me, what reason would I have to go back now?" he prodded from her.

Leaving Naruto where he was, Sakura straightened back up to face him. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe a child on the way. I thought that might have at least made you hesitate and _possibly _consider returning. But then again, you were still willing to attack me, so I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did," she retorted somewhat bitterly.

"I wasn't going to hurt you," he countered, although with a soft voice.

"Weren't you? You're not exactly clear in your intentions. Even in your letter. You explained you regretted ever coming to me in the first place, that you wanted me to be happy. But that's it. I still hardly know anything about what you think and feel about me. You still never open up to me." She was desperately trying to hold back the tears behind a wall of anger.

"Do you want to talk about being open? Then maybe we should start with you trying to hide you and Naruto being married from me."

"Trying to hide? What's there to hide? We're not married."

"So that wasn't a wedding ring that you took off and that he's still wearing." He pointed at Naruto for the last part.

"Ok, those are wedding rings. We had a wedding ceremony. But it's obviously fake because I'm already married to you."

"Maybe it's fake on a technicality, but you two slept together."

"All right. I admit it, we slept together. So? Is that such a big deal?"

"Such a big deal?" he exclaimed exasperatedly as he automatically stepped in a little closer to her. "What else is there to happen after that? Pregnancy? Oh wait, that happened, too."

"What are you talking about? You aren't making any sense."

"Stop lying to me, Sakura," he spoke with an authoritative voice.

"Lying? Lying?" The emotions were really rising now. "How dare you accuse me of lying to you!" she shrieked as a right hook met his face. "I agreed to marry you. You leave me. I get pregnant and don't have a clue what to do. So I come find you, save you from Orochimaru, and you accuse me of lying?"

Unfazed by her punch that lacked any chakra enhancement, he narrowed his eyes at her. "So you're trying to tell me your marriage with Naruto is purely fake. That you didn't kiss him and aren't sleeping with him. And I gave you somewhere to go if something happened."

"That's right, you had a plan. Well, I didn't think it still counted since you _left me_. I'm sorry, I should have checked anyway, but I guess I wasn't thinking straight at the time. You know, from discovering that I was…wait, kiss him? Where did you get that idea?" she asked cautiously.

"I saw you kiss him, in his apartment."

"Oooh, and when you said 'slept together' you meant _slept together_," she muttered half to herself as she instinctively stepped a little closer to explain herself. "I did kiss him, once, but that was it I swear. You picked a very bad night to stop by apparently. I was having a bad night, to say the least. I smashed my face into a mirror right before that if it makes you feel any better. Um…why did you stop by then anyway? If you were going to, why not a lot sooner instead of leaving me hanging for 4 months. And, um, sorry about your face, I guess you had good reason to think I was lying." She hesitatingly reached up and gently placed her hand where she had made contact with her fist. _Well, that explains his behavior, he thought I had actually married Naruto in the meantime._ Thinking back to a statement he had made earlier she wondered, _Crap, I bet he thought this was Naruto's child, too. No wonder he had such a strange reaction when I told him._

In turn, Sasuke thought, _The fact that she can pinpoint when I visited makes it seem plausible she's telling the truth, that that was the only time it happened._ He started to explain, "Well, Orochimaru figured out what I was doing, you know, us. And he asked if you were pregnant after he ran into you during a battle. Anyway, when no word came from you, I assumed you weren't. But then I had this dream that you were pregnant and so then I began to think that maybe you were pregnant but something happened that prevented you from contacting me. So I decided to check on you just in case." He paused to see how Sakura was taking everything. Her wide eyes stared up at him.

"You had a dream, too?" she asked somewhat excitedly. "That's actually how I realized I was pregnant. It was the weirdest thing with Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei dancing and singing in female voices…it was strange. What was your dream?"

Recalling what happened, he opted for, "Uh, it was nothing. You were just there and pregnant."

"Oh, ok. Well, um, go ahead and finish what you were saying."

"Well, that's pretty much it. I saw you kiss, I saw Naruto say, 'The least I can do is carry you to bed,' so I assumed you two were…"

"Don't you mean you heard Naruto?"

"I read his lips. Yours, too." He noticed she was looking at him kind of funny. "I wasn't trying to stalk, I was trying to find out what happened. I mean, I hear nothing from you, come back and find that you moved out of your parents' place. I see Naruto walking home, so I figured I'd ask him and that's when I saw you were there. It was out of concern," he explained, although he felt a little embarrassed because it did sound a good bit like stalking. "And sorry about accusing you of lying."

"So why didn't you still come talk to me?"

"Well, it seemed you were well taken care of, so I just left. Oh yeah, and there was an anbu watching your apartment, too."

"Anbu?" Sakura slapped her forehead. "Well that explains the mild reaction."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, a little confused.

"Tsunade-sama must have realized that the marriage was fake and that really it was you. I can't believe I wasn't more suspicious of her tame reaction when I told her the truth." She sighed at her own ineptness. When Sasuke made no attempt to verbally respond, she thought to say, "So…were you jealous?" She could not resist throwing that one out.

"No," he replied quickly, turning his face away from her slightly. He was also still in the process of trying to deny the small sense of relief he felt at hearing that someone would think that she would be with him over Naruto despite appearances. And then it suddenly hit him. _Wait, if she and Naruto never, then that must mean…  
(Track 11)  
_  
"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't be jealous…" she murmured quietly. It wasn't like she was really expecting him to be anyway, or certainly not admit to it at least.

So she was a little taken by surprise as Sasuke grabbed her by the shoulders. "So you're telling me that…you're saying that you're pregnant with…from me…"

She just nodded at him, and Sasuke sat down on a rock that was a few steps away. "Sakura, I'm…sorry," he apologized solemnly, "I didn't mean for that to happen."

A little confused at the sudden outburst, and then the regretful apology, Sakura decided that she also needed to sit down. "You mean, you didn't even want this?" she asked despairingly. "I thought that was the whole reason you asked me to…but now it seems that you don't even want that…and if that's the case, then…then…" Without finishing her sentence, she quickly covered her face with both of her hands. She could not hold back these tears. At that moment, she suddenly really felt alone.

Sasuke quickly glanced in Naruto's direction only to see that the boy was still very unconscious. _What do I say now? I don't know what to do in this kind of situation. But I have to do something._ Rather unsure of himself, he turned to face Sakura and gently pulled her hands away from her face and wiped away her tears as he cupped her face with both hands. "I always seem to give you a reason to cry, don't I?" he spoke softly.

"Not always," she whispered in reply, staring back at him.

Letting his hands drop and turning slightly so he wasn't facing her directly, he confessed, "I did want an heir. You're right, that is what I wanted. But that changed. Or not so much that I stopped wanting an heir for my clan, but I no longer wanted it to be you." He paused for a moment. "I'm not saying this right. I guess I'm trying to say I don't deserve to ask that of you. I was hoping I could slip back out of your life the way I snuck in and you could go on with a better life without me in it. I wasn't counting on you getting pregnant when I came to that decision."

"That decision you made by yourself," she reminded him, although a little more gently this time.

"Yeah, you already scolded me for that one. I guess I'm just used to living on my own and making my own decisions, it's hard for me to change, I guess." He was about to stand up and say he was going to leave, but then he remembered what he had just been corrected on. "So where do we go from here?"

"If you won't return to Konoha, then take me with you," she spoke in all seriousness.

"No. I won't let you do that."

Feeling the tears well up once again, she choked out, "You can't leave me to deal with this on my own. Please," she begged him.

He just stood up and started to walk away. "I can't take you with me."

Seeing his retreating form, somehow she found her courage again. In an unyielding tone, she spoke out, "Whether you meant it to happen or not, I got pregnant. It was your idea to get married. It was your idea to have sex, which has resulted in this. Now, I consented to all of this, so I'm not putting all the blame on you, but you were definitely a part of it so you need to take responsibility for it and you're sure as hell not leaving me again."

"But that's no kind of life for you," Sasuke started to protest.

"So is it going to be Konoha or somewhere else," she presented, her eyes glaring fiercely at his back.

After a few minutes of deliberation, Sasuke turned and walked back to where she was sitting and offered his hand to help her up. She grasped it tightly, but she had only taken a few steps before turning around and looking back at Naruto's unconscious form.

"Don't worry, someone will find him. It would have been difficult not to notice the summons, so they'll find his location easily enough," Sasuke answered even though she hadn't said a word.

"Well, there's that, but…well, I would have liked to see my family one last time…I guess. And I could try to get permission from Tsunade-sama for leaving, and…"

"I don't think this is going to work."

"…Naruto would probably want to come, too," she finished after him.

He just stared at her for a while before answering. "Naruto's not coming. Fighting beside him is one thing, but I can't…I don't want to face him right now. Back when I left, the first time, I mean, well, at the Valley of the End-"

"I know, he told me," she interrupted. "But if you just talk to him, you'll see-"

"You want to say good bye to your family and everyone first, right?" he interrupted instead.

Sakura nodded.

_Family…_ "Then will 5 days be enough? I'll wait for you at the Good Luck Inn, but I'm leaving at sunset whether you're there or not."

"Thank you," she shouted joyfully as she crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she gave him a hug.

_I guess I can do something to make her happy after all_, he thought to himself.

"Hey!" Sakura cried out.

"Hm?"

"The curse seal is gone," she informed him as she pulled back from the hug a little so she could face him.

"It is?" he asked, shocked. His right hand instinctively flew to the back of his neck as he made two realizations. He couldn't believe that he was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice when the mark had disappeared. He also didn't notice until he moved his right arm that he had wrapped his arms around her waist when she hugged him, and that his left arm was still there.

"That must mean that they were able to kill Orochimaru!" She smiled up at him.

"Yeah." Sasuke just stood there like that for a few more seconds feeling awkward and comfortable at the same time in the embrace with Sakura smiling genuinely at him. She hadn't smiled like that around him since before he had left Konoha. It was like how she smiled at Naruto when he had come to pick her up for their outing. A bigger smile in fact. Was it all because of knowing the battle was over, or was part of it because she was going with him? _Can I really make her happy?_

"Why don't you at least stay until Naruto wakes up," she tried suggesting, "I'm sure he'd want that."

"No, I can't. Someone's coming." He dropped the arm he still had around her and took a step back out of her embrace.

Sakura turned around and heard footsteps coming from behind her, and when she turned back, Sasuke was already gone. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that he had agreed to meet her later, she quickly ran over to Naruto. She had just picked up his limp form when a Konoha ninja appeared in front of her.

"Oh good! I found you. The Hokage-sama needs your assistance right away," he reported immediately.

"What's wrong? Is she ok?" Sakura asked with concern.

"She's fine, it's Jiraiya-san."

"Here, take him," Sakura ordered as she passed Naruto over to him. "Where are they?"

"Where they were fighting, right outside the hideout."

"Thanks. Take care of him for me," she called as she was already running back toward the hideout.

_Whatever it is, please let me make it in time_, she thought to herself. _I'll feel terrible if something happens because I was here talking to Sasuke instead of carrying out the duty Tsunade-sama assigned to me._ She increased her speed with her ever growing sense of urgency.


	12. Chapter 12 Confessions

Disclaimer: Don't kill me – I don't own Naruto.

**_Chapter 12: Confessions_**

Jiraiya and Tsunade were faced off against Orochimaru and Kabuto. All three of them were reaching their limits, and it was only a matter of time before the winners and the dead would be determined.

Tsunade took a chakra scalpel hit from Kabuto, and while his hand cut into her abdomen, she grabbed onto his wrist and punched with as much chakra as she could spare and punched him square in the jaw. She heard his neck crack and she released his arm as his body went flying back toward Orochimaru. Coughing up blood, Tsunade was already activating her genesis rebirth technique she had been powering up for some time.

Now all who remained was Orochimaru.

Jiraiya used an earth technique and Orochimaru found himself starting to sink in mud. Quickly hardening the mud to hold Orochimaru in place, Jiraiya charged up a powerful rasengan with his remaining chakra and rushed straight in for the killing blow.

Orochimaru struggled, but his body was failing him and he knew he wouldn't be able to escape in time. He attempted to call the kusanagi, which had been flung away previously in the battle, in order to counter, but Tsunade grabbed the sword and held it with her strength before it could reach Jiraiya. It looked like nothing would stop the imminent attack on him now. Even so, a large grin spread across Orochimaru's face.

Just as Jiraiya was nearly within reach of Orochimaru, out of the corner of his eye he saw Kabuto get up in a flash and slide in between them. Tsunade also caught this and immediately took off in a sprint, but she was too late. Kabuto slammed his palm into Jiraiya's chest, effectively stopping his heart while just evading the rasengan himself. But Tsunade had finally reached them, and did the only thing she could. She gave Jiraiya a hard shove in the back, which was just enough to add to his momentum for his body to fall forward and pierce through Orochimaru's chest with the rasengan before it disappeared. As Kabuto tried to maneuver around the falling Jiraiya, Tsunade quickly swung the sword around and killed him for sure this time. And to not take any chances of regeneration, she also chopped off Orochimaru's head, which was still grinning as it flew through the air.

Breathing heavily with exhaustion, Tsunade quickly pulled Jiraiya's arm out from Orochimaru's body and laid him gently on the ground. She looked up to see the medic team quickly running toward them, along with a number of the higher level ninjas. _I guess the rest of the battle must be over now, too._

"Come over here now!" she called desperately to the top medic present. "His heart's been stopped, we have to get it going again if we're going to save him. I want you to try to get his heart pumping again by creating chakra pulses," she explained to him quickly as she was already trying to heal the physical damage in and around his heart. "And someone find Sakura and get her here RIGHT NOW!"

"I think she ran over to where those summons were," a ninja spoke up.

"Great. Get her then," she ordered as she continued healing her comrade.

About 5 minutes later, Sakura arrived on the scene. Without even looking up, Tsunade commanded her, "You have the best chakra control, take over trying to start his heart beating again."

Without a word, Sakura replaced the other medic and kneeled down next to Jiraiya. Molding chakra in her hands, she started pressing down on his chest in regular intervals, allowing a little of her chakra to pass through to his heart each time.

As the two of them continued trying to revive him, Kakashi noticed that Sakura's complexion was becoming more and more pale by the second. Lifting the forehead protector, he observed her chakra and saw that it was getting dangerously low. There was a high concentration around her abdomen, he assumed for the baby, but there was a scant amount left in the rest of her system.

"Sakura, you need to stop," he warned solemnly.

"No, it's almost there, I can feel it. Just a little longer," she replied without ceasing the pulsations.

Tsunade looked up at saw how pallor Sakura really had become. "It's ok, we gave it our best," she soothed as she pulled her hands away from Jiraiya's body. _We've been doing this for too long now, there's no hope to revive him now_, she thought.

"Just a little more," her voice strained out as she kept giving more of her chakra.

But Kakashi couldn't let this go on any longer. "Sakura!" he called out as he leaned down and started to pull her away.

"No!" she shrieked as she reached out and gave one last burst of chakra into Jiraiya's chest. The older man suddenly coughed as his heart had finally begun to beat on its own again.

Tsunade looked down at him, tears stinging her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Her relief quickly transformed back into concern, though, as she saw her student's body go limp in Kakashi's arms. "Someone tend to her now!" she shouted immediately and a few of the medical staff quickly started examining her as Kakashi carefully laid her back on the ground.

The last thought that had gone through Sakura's mind right before she passed out was, _I'm glad that I was able to do this for Naruto._

* * *

When Sakura next opened her eyes, she found herself in the Konoha hospital. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she saw that her parents, grandparents, and Naruto were all sitting around her. Her father gently tapped his wife who had fallen asleep in her chair. Sakura was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with everyone staring at her in silence. 

"Thank goodness you're awake," her mother finally breathed out. "I'll go get the Hokage-sama."

"What happened?" Sakura asked, her memory of the last events before she blacked out a little fuzzy.

This time Naruto spoke up. "You fell into a coma."

Sakura suddenly sat up straight. "Is the baby ok?" she cried out anxiously.

Her grandmother leaned in and placed a hand on her arm as she replied, "Yes, you and the baby are both all right."

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as she tried to dredge up the memories from right before she passed out. "Oh, what about Jiraiya-san? He's ok now, right? I think I remember hearing him coughing right before I passed out, so he's all right…right?" she asked with concern.

Naruto answered her. "Yeah, he's fine, Sakura-chan. But you shouldn't have-"

"Good, I'm glad," she replied happily as stretched her stiff arms. She was restricted, though, as she noticed a tube inserted in her left arm, probably delivering nutrients while she was in the coma. "I'm sorry I worried everyone. How long was I out?"

"Just about 4 days," she heard a voice say from the doorway. She looked over to see Tsunade and her mother entering the room. As Tsunade approached the bed, she requested, "Would everyone mind leaving the room for a bit? I'd like to talk to Sakura alone."

"Sure," her father replied. Every stood up and took turns giving Sakura a kiss on the cheek, except for Nartuo who just smiled and gave her a thumb's up, before leaving the room. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little uneasy being left all alone with her teacher.

"Haha, was that really necessary? I mean, what do you have to say that you can't say in front of everyone?" Sakura laughed nervously.

"Sakura. What you did back there, well, do you realize you could have lost your baby doing that? I know you were trying to help, but you need to take better care of yourself. While trying to save one person, you put another in danger. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"But it all worked out in the end, right?" Sakura tried to convince Tsunade and herself. "And I never took chakra away from the baby. That's probably why I passed out because I wasn't taking any from it for myself."

"Yes, but doing so you could have lost it from your body going into shock and falling into a coma. You're lucky we weren't far from here and that we were able to treat you along the way." Tsunade let out a sigh as she pulled up a chair next to the bed and took a seat. "You really are a foolish girl, you know that?"

"Yeah…I know. I don't think about what I'm doing sometimes. But I just-"

"I have a question for you," Tsunade interrupted her. "How did you know Jiraiya was about to revive from what you were doing?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it was just this sense I had that the chakra pulses were starting to get a response."

"Do you think you what you were sensing was his chakra?" Tsuande asked cautiously.

"I really don't know how I knew, I just knew. I guess you could describe it like that."

"Well, if that's the case, then you have an amazing sensitivity to others' chakra. In fact, it would be something I've never actually witnessed in person before," she spoke seriously. "And it's something I'd like to work on developing with you." Then dropping her voice a little and changing the subject once again, she asked, "So what happened with Sasuke? He escaped, if you didn't know."

Sakura turned her head away from Tsunade and pretended to look out the window. "..." was Sakura's only response.

"Did you talk to him at all? Naruto told me that Sasuke had said that he won't return to Konoha until after he's completed his revenge. Did he say anything to you?"

"Well, back when I was re-sealing the curse seal, he said that he regretted ever coming to me in the first place, and that he'd never do it again."

"I see. So it looks like there's not much chance of him contacting you again." She watched her student's reaction closely.

"Seems that way," she said sullenly. "My memory's a bit fuzzy, though. I remember running over to where Naruto and Sasuke-kun were, but I can't remember what happened after that."

"Well, get some rest, and I'll send your family and Naruto back in. Let me know if you remember anything else."

"Ok, I will," Sakura complied with a weak smile.

"Oh, and by the way, no one outside your family, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and I know that you're not really married to Naruto. So continuing that marriage as a real one is still an option for you." Sakura just nodded as Tsunade left the room.

As everyone re-entered the room, she thought to herself, _I only have until tomorrow to figure out what I'm going to do and how I'm going to do it._

* * *

At her stubborn insistence, Sakura was released from the hospital the next morning. She then had spent the morning with her family since she had yet to actually talk with them about her situation with Sasuke. Although she refrained from revealing the arranged meeting to Tsunade, she decided to tell her family the truth and begged that they not say anything until she had gone, and that despite whatever protest they could come up with, she was leaving to meet him. She explained this was something she had to do, but reassured that this trip would be much less dangerous than the one he had just returned from. When asked why she wanted to do this, she responded that even after everything, she still loved him and believed that it wasn't too late to save him from the dark path he's chosen to go down. And even if she couldn't dissuade him, at least she could make sure he wasn't going down it alone. 

"I know this probably sounds crazy to everyone," she said, "but I can't just stay here and do nothing. I have to do _something_, whatever it is I can."

"Sakura, this doesn't sound crazy," her mother spoke up, "this _is_ crazy. I'm not going to just let you leave."

"I'm not asking your permission," she stated. "I was hoping by telling the truth and explaining everything that maybe you'd understand," Sakura replied levelly.

"But-" her mother started to protest but was cut off by her husband.

"I think there's no point in arguing, hun. She inherited your stubbornness after all," her father pointed out gently.

"And I think you indulge her too much. She shouldn't be running around who knows where with him, he should be here taking care of her," her mother heatedly replied.

"I agree, that he should be here. But that's obviously not going to happen on its own, now is it? She made the decision to marry him, and if she thinks it'll do something for her to go with him, then that's her responsibility to take care of. These are part of the consequences of her decision," he explained his point of view calmly. He then turned and asked, "What do you think, Grandfather?"

"Well, I think she was a very foolish girl for making such a rash decision, but if I recall, she's not the first in this family to do something like this when it comes to love," Sakura's grandfather implied.

"But I didn't choose someone who was allied with the enemy of this village," her mother countered. "I may have been rash but I didn't choose someone so dangerous."

"He's not dangerous to me," Sakura spoke quietly. "And he tried to kill Orochimaru, and he provided us with all the information we would need to plan a successful attack."

"That doesn't make up for what he's done," her mother replied. "The way he left, and the way he's abandoned you."

"But he's not abandoning me if he's willing to take me with him. And weren't you the one who said we can't understand what he's been through and that he probably has a reason, whether good or bad, for the things that he's done now. Well, I'm trying to give him a good reason to come back."

"At your expense, though!" her mother cried out.

"Do you think I haven't gotten anything from him? He helped shape me into the person I've become. I was selfish and vain and he taught me to be better than that; he criticized me when I needed to hear it and raised me up when I was depressed; and it was because of him and for him that I became truly strong. If there's anything I can do now to help him in return, I'll do it because I still believe in him with all of my heart."

"But what about Naruto?" her mother asked, lowering her voice from the previous pitch.

Sakura paused to think back about how Naruto had always been there for her, had also supported her, and was someone she could rely on. She also wouldn't have been able to find her strength if it weren't for him. It would be easy to just stay here, to forget that Sasuke was the father and go back to living with Naruto. It would be better for her, but it would go against her heart. "I'm going," she declared finally.

Her mother was about to protest, but Sakura's grandmother stopped her. "I think we are not going to change her mind on this, so I think it is best to support her choice, which is a brave one, rather than have her leave without knowing she has people here who believe in her and are anxiously awaiting her and her husband's return."

Her mother finally relented, and walking over and hugging her daughter, she spoke through her tears, "Just come back to us, ok? I'm not ready to lose you yet."

Sakura hugged her mother back, also starting to cry, "Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sakura," her mother answered in reply.

Eventually, after giving everyone a hug and a goodbye kiss, and telling each of them that she loved them, Sakura left the apartment. She still had a few hours before she had to leave in order to meet Sasuke in time. And even though she had conveyed bold confidence in front of her family, she honestly didn't know if she could actually leave Konoha behind. In a lot of respects, it would be a lot easier just to stay.

* * *

_(Track 12)_  
Sakura took a seat on a bench. The very bench on which she had conversed with Sasuke the first day they were formed into a team; the same bench on which Sasuke had laid her down the night he had left. Propping her elbows on her knees, she buried her face in her hands. It was a little after 7, so she had less than an hour left before sunset, and she still didn't know who she should tell about her leaving, that is, if she could convince herself that she really wanted to leave. She wanted to be with Sasuke, felt she should be with him, but the thought of leaving everything and everyone behind for the unknown really was overwhelming. 

She had stopped by Ino's place, only to discover that she and Temari were having a rant-fest. Apparently both of them had been rejected by Shikamaru, and now the commonality brought them together as friends. After leaving those two by themselves to exchange their complaints over a pan of brownies, Sakura found herself just wandering around Konoha. She stopped by the ramen shop where Naruto often dined; she sat on the swing outside the academy for a while; she visited the memorial stone and the training logs for a bit. And now she had come to this bench.

"Hello, Sakura-chan!" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Sakura looked up to see a bright and smiling Naruto walking toward her. She waved him over and he took a seat on the bench next to her.

"Naruto, I have something I want to ask you, and please answer me honestly," she spoke gravely.

The smile that had been plastered on his face was gradually replaced by a more serious one. "Sure, go ahead," he replied.

"Are you mad at me for not telling you about Sasuke-kun coming to visit me? I wanted to so many times, but I had made a promise as part of the agreement."

"Agreement?"

"I never told you this, but he actually asked me to marry him first. I have the rings right here," she explained as she pulled out a necklace from underneath her shirt that had two wedding rings strung on it. "And he said one of the conditions was that I couldn't tell anyone, and not wanting to pass up the opportunity that he had actually contacted me, I agreed. But even so, you must be mad at me."

Naruto took a few minutes to process this new bit of information. "Sakura-chan, I could never be mad at you," he finally spoke.

"Then if you aren't mad, I'm sure you're still feeling hurt. You should be. I had kept it from you all that time. I'm so sorry for everything. I kept it from you, Naruto, just like I had kept from you about the curse seal 3 years ago."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto only spoke in response, trying to push down the hurt feelings he was feeling.

"Naruto, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his chest. "Please forgive me," she whispered through her tears.

"Of course I do," Naruto replied, but Sakura's mind was already distracted as her mind recalled that Sasuke had said those same words to her the last night they had spent together. As she heard footsteps approaching, she quickly pushed herself away from Naruto and dried her tears. She smiled at the passerby, although Naruto was too distracted by Sakura being upset to make a greeting himself.

In an attempt to make her feel better, he tried, "You know, I deceived you once, too. So you don't have to feel so bad about doing it to me."

"You did?" she asked. "When?"

"On this very bench. During lunch on the day we were assigned as a team. I attacked Sasuke and tied him up, and then met you here pretending to be him. I only wanted to find out what you really thought about me, but that was still wrong of me to trick you like that."

Thinking back to that day, Sakura exclaimed, "So then that was you who I almost kissed?"

Naruto looked sheepish as he vaguely responded with, "Yeah…"

Sakura burst out laughing. "And then you didn't come back then, right? That was really Sasuke the second time, right?"

Naruto nodded, not sure what to make of her laughter.

"No wonder he was acting so different! I could really be stupid sometimes back then. Well, I can really be stupid sometimes now, too. I mean, look at what I got myself into," she spoke with a smirk as she chided herself for all her folly and stretched back and rested against the wall behind them.

"So you aren't mad at me then?" Naruto asked her.

"Please, I think what I did was a little more serious than what you did. It was a long time ago, so just forget about it. But are you mad at me?"

"I already said I wasn't."

"Right," she responded. She looked over at him and stared straight into his eyes. "So do you forgive me then?" He met her gaze and nodded to indicate that he did. _Naruto really is a great guy. I was content living with him all those months, well, aside from the times when he drives me crazy, and then of course there was that one night._ "Naruto?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Can you meet me back at your apartment at 8 tonight? There's something I want to tell you."

"Sure," he answered.

Sakura stood up and called back to him as she starting walking away, "Thanks, Naruto! I'm feeling much better now." _And I know exactly what I'm going to do._

* * *

Sasuke drifted in and out of sleep in his room at the Good Luck Inn. At one point, he turned over to his side and discovered Sakura was sleeping next to him. "How'd you sneak in?" Sasuke questioned, trying not to sound surprised as he wondered how she managed to not wake him up. 

"Through the window," she murmured without opening her eyes. She swung her one leg over and across his waist before pushing herself up, straddling him. Staring down at him, she told him, "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer me honestly."

"Ok," he complied, although he wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was her intense gaze.

"Good. First question: Would you return to Konoha if I asked you to?"

"No."

"Tell me why."

"Because I don't belong there. I have to fulfill my revenge first."

"Why?" she questioned from on top of him.

"Because no one understands why I have to do this; everyone was just encouraging me to forget about avenging my clan. And also, that way no one can get hurt because of it either."

"What if I told you that everyone understands now, that they'd even help you if you came back. What if I said they have a higher chance of getting hurt with you away from them? Then what would your answer be?"

"Still no."

"Then there must be another reason. What is it?"

"I can't face everyone after the things that I've done. I don't belong there anymore, I'm too far gone."

"I see. You mean like trying to kill Naruto for the MS?" Sakura leaned down and started kissing his neck.

"Yes, that was the worst. I can't face him after that."

"And what exactly is Naruto to you?"

"He became my best friend."

"Would you consider him a brother?" Sakura questioned through kisses.

"No!" Sasuke answered immediately. With a little less vehemence, he added, "I can't. Not until I kill my real brother. I have to take care of that first."

"And then you can face Naruto?"

"I don't know. I tried to kill him, Sakura. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, but I think the real question is whether Naruto understands why you did it and how you feel now."

"Maybe," Sasuke relented. "If I thought he could forgive me, I might want to see him then. But there's no way he would."

"And what about me, what do I mean to you?" she asked as she stopped kissing his neck and lifted herself back up slightly so she was only centimeters from his face.

"Sakura…"

"Why did you come back to me?" she asked as she proceeded to kiss the other side of his neck.

"Because I wanted to try to produce an heir before it was too late," he answered.

"Was that your _only_ reason?" she prompted him, as she moved from his neck up to his cheek.

"Maybe there was more."

"Maybe?"

"With the curse seal, I don't know how much I had been manipulated at that point."

"You had to know something."

"I know I thought about the night of our parting a lot. The way you begged me to stay. How you confessed that you loved me and would do anything for me. Those words never left me."

Once again ceasing with the kisses, Sakura faced him again. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto and I both forgive you. I forgive you for everything, just like you asked me to. Now, tell me how you feel about me," she ordered.

But instead of replying, he quickly closed the gap between them as his lips met hers. He lifted his hands up and caressed her face as he continued to kiss her desperately. That is, until there was a knock at the door. Sitting straight up in bed, he quickly realized that he was alone in the darkened room. _The sun must be just about set, _he thought as he tried to shake away the vivid memory of the dream.

Sasuke quickly put on a shirt as he cautiously walked over to the door and slowly opened it.

* * *

Naruto hurried up the steps of his apartment building. He was a few minutes late, and hoped Sakura wouldn't be too mad at him. He quickly opened the door, and found her sitting at the kitchen table. 


	13. Chapter 13 Usefulness

Disclaimer: Can I pretty please have the rights to Naruto with sugar on top? No? Ok, I don't own it.

A/N: Well, only a few more chapters left! I hope you've enjoyed reading this more than I've worked and slaved writing it. :) If you'd be so kind, I'd love to get some feedback as we're heading into the final stretches of the story.

**_Chapter 13: Usefulness_**

Naruto hurried up the steps of his apartment building. He was a few minutes late, and hoped Sakura wouldn't be too mad at him. He quickly opened the door, and found her sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hinata!" he called out in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Um, well, I ran into Sakura just a little bit ago, and she gave me her spare key and told me to wait for you here."

Naruto rushed over to her, almost frightening the girl as he grabbed her tightly by the shoulders, his bright blue eyes staring intensely down at her. "Is she ok? What happened?"

"She was fine when I talked to her," Hinata reassured him. "She told me before I said anything else, though, that you were supposed to tell me the truth about the marriage and the baby." When Naruto just stared at her not responding, she quickly added, "That's what Sakura told me to say, honest." _This is all very strange. What could Naruto have to tell me? And why did Sakura ask _me_ to do this?_

"But she's ok, right?" Naruto asked again.

"She seemed all right to me," Hinata replied again.

Sighing as he plopped down in the chair across from Hinata, he asked, "And she said I'm supposed to tell you the truth then, right?"

Hinata nodded at him.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm supposed to tell you that Sakura and I aren't really married. She's really married to Saskue, and he's the father," Naruto said a little too casually for the situation.

"Oh, ok. Well, Sakura wanted me to give you this envelope then," Hinata replied automatically as she stared unfocused into space due to shock from Naruto's sudden confession that had yet to register completely. She held out the envelope Sakura gave her in somewhat Naruto's direction.

Reaching over and taking the envelope from Hinata's loose grip, Naruto immediately ripped it open and began reading through its contents. In it, Sakura apologized and once again asked for Naruto's forgiveness for keeping something from him. She described the conversation she had with Sasuke after Naruto was knocked unconscious, and the decision she had reached. She also explained that she didn't tell him in person, but wrote this letter, because she knew he'd either try to stop her from leaving or come with her, neither of which she could let happen, followed by another apology. She also asked him not to bother trying to find them because they would have already left the town by the time he was reading this.

She also left a note for him to give to Tsunade for whenever the hokage lost her temper at discovering Sakura's absence; that way Naruto could just hand over the explanation and quickly leave the room. She also left it up to Naruto whether he wanted to tell everyone about the fake marriage, but that there was no longer a need to hide it. She thanked him for doing that and being there for her all those months, and that she was truly grateful and indebted to him.

She ended the letter apologizing to her precious teammate one more time, but saying that this was something she had to do. And that she hoped that team 7 could be fully reunited soon.

After reading through the entire thing, he set both his letter and the one he was to give to Tsunade gently down on the table before standing up, slamming both fists violently down on the table in frustration. Hinata let out a small shriek at the sudden outburst as the piece of furniture wobbled, but held together under the force. The voice reminding Naruto that he wasn't alone, his temper quickly diminished as he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you ok?" he asked kindly although his fists were still clenched tightly.

"Um…yeah, I'm fine. Are you all right? What happened? Um…you can tell me…if you like," she offered, although she was still a little shaken by Naruto's reaction to the letter. "But only if you want to tell me, though, I mean. I can leave you alone if you prefer that." Hinata immediately stood up and started to walk toward the door when Naruto spoke up.

"If it's ok, I'd rather not be alone right now," he replied.

Stopping in her motion, Hinata simply nodded and hesitatingly made her way back to the kitchen table. She watched Naruto as he slowly sat back down, folded his arms in front of him on the table, and buried his face into them. Prior to just a few moments ago, she had stopped feeling anxious around him after the wedding since she had nothing left to be nervous about; she was too late in telling him her feelings, so she just accepted the way things were. But now, knowing that he wasn't taken…

As Hinata sat back down, she desperately tried to think of something to say to him, but what could she say in these circumstances. She didn't really understand what was going on or what was in the letter, or even what happened with Sakura. It wasn't long, though, before Naruto just started talking without being prompted.

"Hinata, can you tell me what Sasuke has that I don't have?" he asked her with his face still pressed into his arms.

"Um, well, I'm not sure if I'm the person to be asking that question-"

"I mean, she still chooses him even though I've been here for her all this time. Is there something wrong with me?"

Hinata tried again, "Well, I don't really think it's that she doesn't appreciate what you do for her, because I'm sure she does. I think sometimes a person's heart just chooses for itself, and it doesn't always make logical sense." She glanced over at him for a few moments, but soon realized he wasn't responding to what she said. "Um, but don't let that make you think you're any less of a person because of it. Because…I think you're a really great person, Naruto-kun," she quickly encouraged.

"You're just saying that, Hinata."

She wasn't sure what to say next. _I have to think of something. Come on, Hinata, think of something brilliant to say to him to help him feel better!_ "I mean it, Naruto-kun. I think…I think any girl would be lucky to have your attention and to be with you. You never give up, you're someone to rely on, and you care a lot about others. You really have a big heart, and it is because of that that you seem to have the power to change others. For the good, I mean." She wasn't exactly sure what she was saying, but was just kind of letting the words flow out of her.

"If I'm so great, then why doesn't Sakura like me?" he voiced with emotion.

"Well, if she's already in love with someone else, you can't force someone's feelings to change no matter how much you do for her. It may happen, her feelings may change, but if she's already set on someone else…you gave it your best shot, but if it doesn't work out, that doesn't mean it's because you're lacking anything, or that someone else won't come along who will like you," she rambled with an uncertainty that any of this was actually helping or even making sense. _Of course_, Hinata thought, _Naruto may never change from liking Sakura to liking me either. But it's always worth a try_, she consoled herself.

"But that's what I'm trying to say. No one will ever like me! I'm just that type of person that everyone says is nice, but no one actually wants to be with me."

"That's…that's not true," she stammered. _Can I really say this? Am I ready to tell him? Ok, before I have time to second guess myself, if he asks me 'who', then I'm going to answer him honestly_, she resolved as her knuckles were already turning white underneath the table from anxiously squeezing her hands together so tightly.

"You're right, Hinata." Naruto suddenly lifted his head. "I'm just feeling bad about myself because Sakura still chooses Sasuke over me, but I had promised I'd bring him back for her. So what am I doing complaining about it when this was what I was trying to do for her anyway?" He smiled encouragingly as he said this.

Hinata, slightly taken aback by the sudden change, managed to squeeze out the words, "So…so you aren't…um, you aren't upset anymore then?"

Naruto let his head fall back into him arms. "Who am I kidding? I still feel like crap about it and wished more than anything she had chosen me."

Hinata slowly stood up and moved over into the chair next to him. She hesitantly, but gently, placed an arm around him as she thought, _Well, I guess now isn't the right time to tell him how I feel about him. But I can still do what I can to comfort him as a friend._ "It's ok to be upset about it, there isn't…isn't anything wrong with that. I just hope you won't be sad for too long because you're too strong of a person to let something like this keep you down."

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto acknowledged, although his words were muffled through his arms.

They sat together like that for some time in silence before Naruto eventually complained of hunger. Smiling slightly, Hinata offered to treat him to ramen to help cheer him up, and he accepted enthusiastically and was practically out the door before she even realized she had asked him out. _I guess that wasn't so difficult after all_, she thought to herself, _although he still doesn't know. Maybe in time I'll have the courage to tell him. Let's just take things one step at a time._

"You really are a great person, Hinata," Naruto complimented her as she walked up beside him. "You really cheered me up back there, so thanks!"

"I'm glad, Naruto-kun," she replied timidly, praying desperately that she wasn't blushing.

* * *

Sasuke quickly put on a shirt as he cautiously walked over to the door and slowly opened it to find Sakura standing behind it. Opening the door fully, he stepped aside so she could walk into the room before closing it behind her while still trying to get rid of the image of her lying on top of him. 

Turning around to face him, Sakura spoke up first, "Sasuke-kun, there's something I have to tell you before we go."

"Ok."

"We're going to have to travel slowly the next few days. I mean, slower than we'd already have to because of the pregnancy."

"Are you sick?"

"Um…no, it's not that. It's just that, I just woke up from a coma yesterday," she spoke quickly.

"Coma?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I kind of let my chakra level get a little too low and I passed out for a little bit." She then quickly added, "But I'm fine now, and the baby's fine. I'm just not fully recovered yet."

"I told you that you were running low on chakra and to not use up more if you didn't have to," he reminded her.

"I know, it's just that, well, I was trying to help revive Jiraiya-san because Kabuto had stopped his heart during the battle," she explained.

"But you're all right now?" he asked despite the fact she already said she was, although it came out sounding more like a statment. S_he was unconscious for 4 days. She must have really depleted her chakra then._

"Yes, I'm fine. And Jiraiya-san's ok now, too," she answered.

"Fine, if that's all then let's go."

"Wait, one more thing."

"What is it?" he asked as he gathered up his few things.

She unclasped the necklace and removed the two wedding rings. "This will make it easier to travel together. Less questions that way, don't you think?" she asked as she held out his ring to him.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied gruffly as he took his ring from her and hastily placed it on his finger as he watched her do the same out of the corner of his eye. "Ready then?" he asked a little too quickly.

Sakura nodded, and Sasuke led the way down the hall and through the lobby. Sakura turned to give the innkeeper a friendly way on her way out. The innkeeper only mused that now she was with the first guy again, and that this time they were wearing matching wedding rings. _I really am curious now as to what's going on with those 3 kids._ But figuring he'd probably never know the answer to that puzzle, it soon left his mind as he went about business as usual.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're all right with just letting her go like that," Sakura's mother commented to her husband. 

"Well, she had already gone ahead and married him, and I don't think she would have done that if she thought he didn't care about her at all. I know, it's not easy to just sit here and hope that she returns safely. But she is a ninja, and we do that for every dangerous mission she's assigned. So why not also for love?"

"I guess so," her mother replied without sounding too convinced. "But I still think it's crazy for her to-"

"Well, I think you were that crazy about me once. You had to have been to convince me to run off and secretly elope with you like that. We didn't know how things were going to work out. We didn't know how either of our families were going to take the news. We didn't know where we'd end up living or if we'd be able to support ourselves financially. But I let you convince me, because I had faith that we'd find a way to make it work. Why don't we give Sakura the same benefit of a doubt?"

"You let me convince you, huh? It was all my idea then, was it? I remember it happening a little bit different than that."

"Well, maybe I contributed a _little_ to the idea," he smirked at his wife.

Her mother finally smiled a little herself. "Are you still that in love with me even now after all these years?" she asked him.

"You bet. In fact, why don't I show you right now?" her father suggested with a cunning look in his eye.

* * *

"WHAT?" Tsunade screamed aloud the next day. "She lied to me!" she shrieked at Naruto. 

"Well, she hid it from me, too, so you aren't the only one," he tried to explain without much success.

"I specifically told her to tell me if she remembered anything. I'm going to kill her the next time I see her," she spoke rather calmly, although her eyes looked so furious fire practically burned in the pupils.

Rather fearing for his life, he quickly laid the letter Sakura had wrote in front of the hokage and immediately exited the room. _I really don't know between the two of them who has scarier temper_, Naruto mused to himself as he left the building in a hurry, _but I sure am glad Sakura wrote that letter so I wouldn't have to explain everything myself and risk being on the receiving end of that wrath. Actually, now that I think about it, Sakura kind of saved me by not letting me know so I can't be held accountable for helping her leave. I wonder if that was part of why she didn't want to tell me._ But Naruto didn't think too long about it. It still pained him regardless, but he had gotten a lot of his feelings off his chest to Hinata, and he had to admit, he was starting to feel a little better about it. But only just a little. Noticing the time, though, _Crap! I'm going to be late. I promised I'd meet Hinata for a picnic lunch._ He paused in his thoughts. _Wait, Hinata wouldn't beat me up for being late so I don't have to worry…what am I thinking – I still shouldn't keep her waiting!_ he scolded himself as he quickened his pace. _Hinata sure is nice to cheer me up so much like this. I wonder if I should do something for her in return…I'm not really sure on these kinds of things._

* * *

Back to the previous night. 

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called for the third time.

"It's just a little farther to the next town. You can make it," he replied.

"No, I can't. Please, I need to stop. Why don't we just sleep out here anyway? We're used to camping outside while traveling."

"It's just a little farther."

"You're the one who insisted I needed to take better care of myself, so that's what I'm trying to do," she explained, and a little more quietly added, "and I don't want to take the chance of hurting the baby like I've been doing," before raising her voice to a normal volume again with, "And why are you so against sleeping outside? It's certainly cheaper," she pointed out.

"I've got money, and you'd be more comfortable in an inn than sleeping out here," he said in reply. "It shouldn't be more than an hour or two from here."

"I'd be more comfortable if we stopped," she remarked back.

"No."

"Why?"

"Don't you think they might have sent someone to find us? We should at least stay in an inn the first night."

"Who's 'they'?" Sakura questioned, slightly confused.

"Konoha!"

"We have a good head start, and they don't know which direction we went," Sakura tried to reason.

"They could easily overtake us with how slow we've been going, and Kakashi-sensei's dogs could probably search us out, for example. We'd be better concealed in a town with lots of people than out in the woods."

"I don't think Tsunade will miss me until morning."

"Wait, you didn't tell her?" he asked, trying to mask his surprise.

Sakura shook her head.

"I thought you were going to ask for permission."

"I was, and then for the very reason you brought up I thought it'd be best to say nothing."

"So no one knows you left."

"Well, I told my family, and I left a note for Naruto – that way he wouldn't be able to catch us before we left…since you had said he couldn't come."

"One of them could have told her," he suggested.

"Do you think any of them would really want to be the one to give her the news?"

"You have a point," he conceded. He didn't know much about Tsunade, but he had heard about her temper before he left.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"But we should still stay at an inn."

Sakura just slapped her forehead in disbelief. "Then why did you just agree with me that it was unlikely?"

"It may be unlikely, but it's not impossible."

"Well, if you want me to make it to the next town, you're going to have to carry me there," she presented as an ultimatum.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yeah," he said as he turned around so his back was facing her as he held out his arms behind him to carry her piggy-back style.

Hesitatingly, she stepped up close to him and rested part of her weight on his shoulders as she lifted one leg up for him to hook his arm around. She then did the same with the other leg as she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

And after her response, he set off again jumping from branch to branch until he reached the next town about an hour later; he put her back down once they had reached the gates. After a little searching, they eventually found an inn with a vacancy.

As they entered the room they were given, Sakura made a realization. "Huh, well, I guess the bad thing about traveling with the pretense of a married couple would be getting a room with only one bed. I guess I didn't really think about that." She let out a nervous laugh. "I can go back downstairs and ask for another room."

"This is fine. The bed's big enough. We should have plenty of room between us."

"Ok then, well, I'm going to get ready for bed," she announced as she went to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth in the bathroom. When she walked back into the bedroom, she noticed Sasuke had stripped down to his boxers.

"I, uh, don't have any pajamas with me," he explained sheepishly.

"It's fine. I've seen you more naked than that before," she attempted to reply casually, although it only made the situation more awkward instead. "Right, well, good night," she said to him as she climbed into bed as Sasuke took his turn in the bathroom to brush his teeth.

A few minutes later, Sasuke climbed into the other side of the bed. "Um, good night," he said, although so quiet she probably didn't hear him.

Sakura rolled over to face him, but instead found herself looking at his back. She hesitatingly reached out a hand toward him, but quickly pulled it back before making contact. She couldn't believe how much her heart was racing from sharing a bed with him. _I thought I'd be used to this after all those months sleeping in the same bed with Naruto, so why am I so nervous now?_ But she focused on relaxing and, coupled with her exhaustion, it wasn't long before she was able to fall asleep.

Sasuke then fell asleep soon after her, but not without first pleading with his subconscious not to have a dream like he had had earlier that day. He was already self-conscious enough sleeping next to her in his boxers; he'd feel really uncomfortable in the morning knowing he had dreamt about her like that during the night.

They left early the next morning and continued making their way ever farther from Konoha. They still had quite a few days worth of traveling: Sasuke had suggested the Grass Country as a good central location to stay for the time being. And the following nights Sakura was able to convince him that she was fine with sleeping outside, and so they did until they finally reached a satisfactory town in the Grass Country and found a furnished apartment to rent. Sasuke also made sure to go out and buy pajamas right away, along with a futon for him to sleep on in the living room so they wouldn't have to share the one bed.

* * *

Within a few weeks, Sakura was really starting to look like she was pregnant. She had to modify her shirt a bit and loosen her skirt to accommodate the extra volume she was taking up. Sakura stood a slightly extra distance away from the counter than she used to as she started preparing lunch after her usual study of the scrolls she had brought with her. Sasuke would be back soon from his morning training, which was his usual routine. 

Just as Sakura was finishing up, sure enough, she heard the door open and turned around to see Sasuke walking into the apartment. "How was your training this morning, Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

"Fine. What are you making for lunch?" he asked absently as he dropped his stuff near the door and took off his shoes.

"I thought I'd try making some curry. I picked up a recipe from the restaurant," she explained cheerfully despite the lack of emotion in his question. Sakura spent her evenings working part-time waitressing to help pay for the rent. She enjoyed the company of her co-workers, who were slightly more conversational than her roommate. With that as part of it, she didn't mind taking the job so Sasuke could focus completely on training, although they had no leads to finding Itachi.

"Sounds good," he replied as he started to set the table.

_Come on, just say it. It's no big deal, so just say it_, Sakura tried to encourage herself as she stirred the pot of curry. "So, Sasuke-kun. I was…thinking that, well, if you want to, I mean…um, if you want to sleep together, that's ok with me," she blurted out. "I don't mind, it's not like we haven't already. And we certainly wouldn't have to worry about me getting pregnant." She laughed nervously after the last part.

"Don't do it on my account," he replied, "I'm fine with how things are."

Sakura's hand began to tremble slightly as she continued to mindlessly stir the curry. "You're right," she agreed timidly, "I don't know what I was thinking. Of course you wouldn't want that." She let out another short laugh.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he let out a small sigh.

"Nothing, I just…nothing."

Sasuke walked up behind her reached past her to turn off the stove. "Why don't you go sit down on the couch, the food can wait."

Sakura just nodded and followed his direction. After making sure everything was turned off, he sat down next to her on the couch. Sakura just stared blankly ahead of her.

Seeing she wasn't going to say anything, he asked rather bluntly, "Why did you say what you did just now?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I guess I just felt like it."

Sasuke just looked at her for more of an explanation.

She continued, "I guess I just thought that if we, you know, that maybe I could…"

"That you could what?" he prompted, sounding almost impatient.

"I don't know," she whispered. "Feel…something…I guess?"  
_(Track 13)_

_Feel something? _Sasuke thought. He once again waited for her to give more explanation.

"This may sound crazy, but…I feel like on the surface, I can feel happy, or even sad. But deep down inside, it's like there's this hole, like I'm missing something. Most of the time I'm fine, I don't even notice. I…just get this way sometimes. I'm sorry," she quickly finished as she began to stand up, but Sasuke grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back down.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" Sasuke spoke quietly. "I didn't mean to…I didn't think it would affect you like that."

But Sakura just shook her head. "No, I think I've always been like this. I've been thinking lately about how everyone keeps telling me to take better care of myself. Why is that? Do I really not take care of myself?" She paused for a moment before continuing. "And then I thought back to that fight. Do you remember the scar?" she asked him as she lifted her shirt slightly to reveal its faint remains stretched out over her swollen stomach. "I took a blow to protect someone else. And as determined as I had been to survive so I could find you and be there for Naruto, what I felt for a split-second was…relief. Isn't that funny?" she spoke as she turned to him and smiled. But Sasuke wasn't smiling back.

Sakura turned back to facing forward again, letting the smile gracefully drop from her expression. A few seconds later, she spoke up again. "I guess I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about whether I was good at things anymore, or if I was useful to other people. In fact, I almost think I might have subconsciously thrown myself in front of the sword with that being part of the reason. I quickly snapped out of it and started healing myself, but I didn't forget what I felt in that one moment." She smiled weakly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You know, I've been trying to learn from everyone how to be confident in myself. First from Ino, then you, and Naruto and Lee-san. But this seems to be one lesson I just can't grasp. You must think I'm really pathetic, huh?" Sakura questioned out loud as a second tear slid down her cheek.

She turned back to face him and leaned in to hug him. But instead of receiving her, he harshly said, "No." Slightly taken aback by his response, Sakura just looked at him in confusion. "Come with me," he ordered her.

"What?" was all the more she could get out before quickly trying to catch up with Sasuke who was already walking out the front door.

He led her to a small open patch in the woods outside of the town. Once Sakura had caught up, he quickly pulled out a kunai and stabbed his hand with it.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out as she quickly rushed over to him to pull out the weapon and start healing his gash. "What are you-"

"See, you are useful," he interrupted.

"But I-"

"And medical ninjutsu isn't easy to learn, and how you've become so proficient in a few years is amazing, Sakura," he spoke sternly. "And ever since our sparring match, I've been trying to be able to punch like you do, with that kind of added strength…but I can't. I don't have as good of chakra control as you do to be able to do that. I can strengthen my hits by some, and that's only in a training situation; you can not only increase your strength by a significant amount, you can even pull it off in battle."

Sakura just continued to silently heal his wound without looking up, although his words were falling heavily down upon her. When she was just about finished, he added the remark, "And even if you didn't have any talent as a ninja, you're still a better person than I am. You should at least be able to realize that." After saying that last sentence, he pulled his hand back from her and started walking away. "Stay here as long as you like and come back when you're ready." He slowed his steps to stop and confess, although without turning around, "And even though it may not have been the cause, what I did to you I'm sure didn't help. I'm sorry." He then quickly picked up his pace again as he left the clearing.

Sakura just stared in the direction of his retreating form, too dumfounded by his words yet to make any sort of response. She eventually collapsed down to the ground. She felt like she was that kid stumbled upon by Ino all those years ago. Her memory of that day and how she felt was crystal clear in her mind. She cried then, and she was crying now. But this time, Ino wasn't going to come and cheer her up. No, this time, she had to figure out how to do that for herself.

A few hours later and after many, many thoughts, reflections, and revelations, Sakura slowly stood back up and stretched her stiff muscles. She finally looked around her and guessed that this was where Sasuke did his training every day. Taking a deep breath, she took her first step back to the apartment, hesitated, but then casually strolled the rest of the way, almost laughing from the light feeling of a very great burden having been lifted from her. Although she knew that she still had a long way to go. She had found her path to becoming physically stronger 3 years ago, and now, she realized that she had already been strong, as a person, all along.

Pushing open the door, Sakura entered the apartment to find Sasuke sitting at the table waiting for her. Seeing that she had returned, he stood up and took the bowls over to the stove to fill with the lunch they hadn't eaten yet.

Sakura sat down across from him and took the bowl he offered to her. After swallowing her first spoonful, Sakura spoke up. "You didn't have to wait for me to eat, you know."

Sasuke shrugged in response. "I didn't mind."

"But then I guess you were too busy watching over me in the woods," she contemplated.

His spoon paused in mid-air before he set it back down. "You noticed?"

"Only when I went to leave." She had hesitated after the first step trying to figure out who it was. "Um, thanks, by the way. I guess I really needed to do that, and I am feeling a lot better now," she spoke with a genuine smile. "And I mean _actually_ better and not just covering it back up."

"Hn."

Noticing the time, Sakura quickly stood up and exclaimed, "Crap! I'm going to be late for work."

"I already told them you weren't feeling well and wouldn't be in tonight on my way back."

"Oh, ok," she replied as she slowly sat back down to finish eating as she thought about how considerate that was of him.

"I was thinking," Sasuke started to say, surprising Sakura by initiating something in the conversation, "you could come with me this evening, and I can show you some genjutsu…if you'd like to learn." When she just continued to stare at him blankly, he cleared his throat before continuing, "Didn't you say you never learned too much about it, mainly just defense?"

Snapping out of her daze, Sakura quickly answered, "Oh, yes. That would be useful. Yeah, I'd love to go with you."

When they were done eating, Sasuke quickly stood up and took both of their bowls over to the sink to wash, hoping Sakura didn't notice how nervous he had been to extend the invitation. When he finished a minute later, he asked, "Ready?"

"Yeah," she replied with a smile. As they walked out the door, Sakura suggested, "You know, I could try teaching you some medical ninjutsu. I bet you can pick up on the basics fairly quickly, and it might be useful to you in battle."

"Hn."

So from then on they practiced together in the mornings before lunch, Sasuke teaching Sakura genjutsu, and Sakura teaching Sasuke basic medical ninjutsu. Sakura also noticed that from then on Sasuke started to be a little less aloof toward her. And maybe even acted _slightly_ more open around her. She wasn't sure if it was because he pitied her, or that maybe he felt he could relate to her a little better knowing he wasn't the only one with emotional burdens, but even though she didn't understand why or how it came about, she certainly was grateful for it.


	14. Chapter 14 Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I wouldn't lie: I don't own Naruto.

_(Track 14)_

**_Chapter 14: Forgiveness_**

A few months later, and a few weeks before Sakura was due.

"Looks like you made some good tips tonight," one of Sakura's coworkers commented as Sakura counted her money at the end of the night.

"Yeah, I got a few big groups who were very generous, I think because I look so pregnant now. I feel bad, they really don't have to give me extra or anything."

"Just appreciate it, girl. Oh, and your husband's here to walk you home. You know, this is the first I've gotten to catch a glimpse at him. He's _very_ good looking, if you don't mind me saying so," her friend remarked with a wink.

"Yes he is," Sakura replied with a sigh. "Well, I better not keep him waiting. I'll see you tomorrow." She waved as she left the back room and met Sasuke outside. As they had started walking down the street, Sakura commented to him, "You know, you really don't have to meet me here every night. I'm fine walking home by myself."

Sasuke just shoved his hands into his pockets and didn't say anything in response. Sakura took that to mean he was going to keep coming every night anyway. Well, she didn't really mind the company, even though rarely did either of them say anything during the walk. Throughout the months they had been living together, they eventually were able to pick back up where they had left off as comrades from 3 years ago, and while Sakura was very content in their growing friendship, she sometimes wondered if Sasuke ever felt more than that.

After they had returned to the apartment, Sakura immediately went back to the bedroom change out of her work outfit. "Sasuke-kun!" she called from the bedroom as she walked toward the door and opened. "Did you already take your shower..ahh!" she cried out in surprise as she nearly walked into him, not realizing he had come up to the door thinking that something might have been wrong.

When Sasuke nodded to her in reply, she responded, "Ok, then I'm going to go ahead and take mine and go to bed."

"You've been going to bed early lately," he observed. She was still getting used to Sasuke offering a comment without being prompted, although it still didn't happen as often as she would like.

"Yeah, due this lovely condition of pregnancy I feel tired all the time, and it doesn't help that I have trouble sleeping at night. If it's not my back aching, it's the baby kicking, or I have to get up and go to the bathroom all the time…sorry, you probably don't want to hear this," she apologized as she lowered her gaze.

"It doesn't bother me." _I'm the reason you're suffering through it right now_, he thought.

When she looked back up at him, Sakura realized they were still standing fairly close to each other in the doorway of the bedroom, and she temporarily forgot about taking a shower as she was distracted by his dark eyes that were gazing back at her.

Every once in a while, it would seem like she would catch a glimpse of something in the way he looked at her, or feel something tangible in the space between them. But it was so rare and fleeting that she could never be sure if it was anything more than just her imagination, and the only evidence she had even made such a momentary observation was the excited feeling it left behind in the pit of her stomach every time. And this was one of those times.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she found herself wondering once again what exactly was the nature of his feelings behind that ever-composed exterior when she suddenly jumped back at the sound of a knock at the door. _Who could – oh no! They weren't supposed to be here for another few days! Sasuke is definitely going to kill me!_

Willing herself to be calm as she saw the look of confusion spread across his features, Sakura slowly spoke as she walked to the front door, "Sasuke-kun, now, I know this is going to be a bit of shock, and you're not going to like what I did, but-"

"Who is it, Sakura?" he interrupted.

"Well…um…well, you might as well just see for yourself," she concluded as she reached over to the knob and swung open the door and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

"Yo!"

"Holy crap, Sakura-chan! You've gotten HUGE!"

* * *

About a month prior Sakura had brought up the suggestion of returning to Konoha. 

"No! Absolutely no!" Sasuke shouted at her.

"But why not? Huh? Do you really think you can take on both Itachi and Kisame? Don't forget they always travel in pairs. And even if Kisame agreed to let you have a one-on-one fight and you defeat Itachi, do you think he's just going to walk away? You'd still have another serious battle ahead of you. You're strong, but to take on two Akatsuki members back-to-back if not simultaneously, by yourself isn't very smart, and I'd really prefer you coming back alive," she reasoned. "And it makes a lot more sense than just sitting here in this apartment. We'll never find Itachi this way. If you're serious about this, then you're more likely to run into your brother if you stick close to Naruto; he is his target if you remember," she yelled back at him.

"Yeah, I remember. Do you think I could ever forget that day? You know what I discovered that day? That even after all that training, after all that work, I was no closer to beating Itachi than when we were younger! And not only that, but he had no interest in me, only Naruto! Do you know what it's like to have the person who took everything away from you fling you aside like you're nothing? Do you?" He glared at her angrily.

"No," she answered meekly, "no, I don't know what that'd be like. I'm sorry…I-"

"What are you sorry for? You're always apologizing. I'm the one who…" he trailed off instead of finishing what he was going to say. "If you want to go back, you're more than welcome to, but I'm staying here."

Not sure whether to be furious with him or pity him, Sakura let the subject drop, although she was already developing plans in her mind. _Fine, if you won't go back to Konoha, then I'll bring him to you. You're going to need help whether you want to admit it or not, and besides you need to face him at some point anyway. So even though you may hate me for doing this, it's something you need to do, and there's a better way to do this than how you're going about it._

* * *

"I can't believe how big you've gotten!" Naruto exclaimed as he lifted his pink-haired friend up in the air. 

"Do you have to say it like that!" Sakura complained in annoyance as she bopped him on the head and he put her back down.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, I just can't get over it," he replied with a bemused look on his face as he stared at her swollen abdomen.

"Right…so how are you doing, Kakashi-sensei? Was the trip ok? I wasn't expecting you for a few days yet," Sakura conversed in a much sweeter tone.

"Everything was…well, the trip went ok," he replied vaguely. "Long time no see, Sasuke," he called to the boy who hadn't moved since Sakura opened the door.

"Hn," was his only reply as he walked over to the couch and sat down on it, arms crossed.

"I see he hasn't changed much," Kakashi commented.

"Well, you guys showed up just as I was about to get ready for bed, but I can stay up for a while," she offered as she quickly changed the subject.

Naruto replied, "It's ok, go ahead to bed if you're tired." Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked as she looked between the two of them.

"Yes, I think you should, too. You were complaining of being tired earlier," Sasuke practically ordered from behind her.

"Well…ok, if everyone insists. Good night then." She waved awkwardly at Kakashi before turning to give Naruto a hug and walking back into the bathroom to take a quick shower. As she closed the door behind her, she thought, _Well, that was uncomfortable. I wonder if they were purposely trying to get rid of me._ Suddenly staring at the door with a nervous expression, she tried to convince herself that everything would be fine with Kakashi there to mediate. She tried not to think too much about the possibility that the apartment might not be in one piece in the morning as she finished up her shower and waved to everyone as she walked across the hall and into the bedroom to go to sleep.

* * *

Everyone in the living had waited until Sakura had gone to bed before venturing to say anything. But now that Sakura had entered the bedroom, Naruto stared at Sasuke's profile, trying to hold back his rage at the boy's silence. "Aren't you happy to see us, Sasuke?" Naruto questioned through clenched teeth. 

"I didn't invite you," was all Sasuke gave for a response. "And keep your voice down, unless you're trying to keep Sakura from sleeping," he accused.

"Do you want to take this outside?" Naruto challenged back.

"After you," he replied back.

"Ok, I think it's about time for me to interrupt," Kakashi butted in. "Maybe we should all just go to sleep and hold off the nice chat until the morning?" he suggested cheerfully.

"Fine," both boys answered simultaneously.

Eying the one futon and the one couch, Naruto asked in his typical manner, "So if there's 3 of us, where do I sleep?"

Sasuke observed him eyeing the closed bedroom door. "Don't even think about it, we have extra blankets and I'll just sleep on the floor," he explained as he went over to the closet only to discover that Sakura had thought ahead and already bought or rented another two futons. Not wanting to admit his lack of knowledge, Sasuke just silently spread the other two futons on the living room floor as Kakashi ordered Naruto to move the couch and coffee table off to the side.

* * *

After he could hear that Kakashi had fallen asleep, Sasuke quietly got up and looked over at Naruto's futon to see it was already unoccupied. _He's getting good, I didn't even hear him_, Sasuke thought. Immediately taking note that Naruto was sitting at the kitchen table already dressed, Sasuke quickly threw on his clothes and they almost made it out the door before Kakashi warned, most likely with a smirk beneath his mask, "You two better not burden Sakura with having to heal you two in the morning." 

Naruto just grinned while Sasuke smirked as they entered the hallway and closed the door quietly behind them. Sakura, who was having trouble sleeping watched from the window as two shadowed figures left the building. Her first instinct was to run after them, but she stopped herself. _No, they need time to work things out between themselves; I'll only get in the way. Besides, I have a few questions for Kakashi-sensei. I just sincerely hope they don't kill each other in the meantime._ Ignoring her strong sense of worry, Sakura walked out into the living room.

"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered, "are you awake?"

"Yeah," he replied casually, although he made no move to get up; his back was to her.

She sat down on the couch and tucked her legs underneath her. "So why'd you show up early?" she asked him.

"I figured we should stop here first before traveling to the Sand village to check up on you two."

"I see. So you don't know any information yet?"

"No, but we'll leave in the morning and be back in a few days with hopefully some news."

"So how mad was Tsunade-sama when you left?"

"Pretty furious," he replied simply.

"I'm guessing I've got quite a punishment racked up against me for when I return," she remarked with a smile.

"Probably," he answered light-heartedly before turning serious, "but you know he's going to have it a lot worse if we can convince him to return."

"I know," she replied quietly.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" he questioned her.

* * *

The two boys reached the clearing and turned to face one another, neither one speaking a word, the only noise was the wind blowing in the trees surrounding them. Finally, Sasuke broke the silence between them. "So you want to finish our fight from before, huh?" Sasuke remarked, glaring at his former teammate as he fell back into a fighting stance. 

Naruto stared just as intensely back at him. "If that's what you want."

"Then why'd you come out here then if not to fight?"

"I want answers from you. I want an explanation," he cried out in exasperation.

"Oh," Sasuke replied as he relaxed in his stance. _Well, I might as well say it now, I have to do this at some point._ Sasuke let out a sigh before beginning the apology he had practiced. "I'm…I'm sorry, Naruto, for trying to kill you back at the Valley of the End. Especially now with the curse seal gone, I can really see how far I let myself go. But even with the curse seal, and seeing my brother again, that's no excuse for what I attempted. And the only reason I tried to kill you was because he said that if I did, I would gain-"

"Who cares about that! I'm talking about what you did to Sakura-chan!" Naruto interrupted.

"…what?" Sasuke asked, feeling uncharacteristically dumfounded. "You mean you don't…you mean you forgive me for that?"

"Sure," Naruto shrugged. "I'm not saying I don't feel hurt by it, but that's not going to stop me from doing whatever it takes to convince you to come back to Konoha."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, Sasuke. Because you…you became like a brother to me. And because of that, I'll never give up on you," Naruto said defiantly.

"You believe in me too much. I'm only going to disappoint you again," Sasuke replied flatly as he started walking back toward the apartment building.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, not moving from the spot where he was standing. He waited for Sasuke to stop and turn back around. "How could you hurt Sakura-chan like that? Do you have any idea what you put her through when you left her? I had to watch her every day put on a fake smile and pretend that everything was all right, and it pained me every time I saw how miserable she really was. And it's all because of you! How could you do something like that?"

Sasuke remained silent for a few minutes before answering. "I don't have an excuse or a good explanation for why I did it. I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving her for good, but really, I never should have went to her in the first place. Do you think I don't regret that? I never meant to hurt her, I just thought…I don't know what I was thinking. If it were up to me, I'd leave her alone from now on. It'd be easier on her that way. But she insisted on coming with me, so if that's what she wanted…well, I'm trying my best to take care of her, but I can't give her what she really wants."

Naruto answered right away to assure him, "You'd hurt her more by leaving again. It's you she wants to be with. Anyway, can't you understand that despite what you've done, we still want you around, both of us? So after you fight Itachi, what do you have planned? Are you going to run away again, or are you going to return to Konoha?"

_So he's not going to insist that I come back right now, huh?_ "I don't know what I'm going to do," he replied as he once again started walking back toward the apartment. He was definitely starting to feel awkward with the conversation.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called once again, still not having moved from that spot.

"What is it this time?" Sasuke called as he kept walking.

"Don't you at least want to have a little sparring match? I'm sure you're dying to know where you stand against me," Naruto taunted, knowing very well what type of situation made his former teammate feel more at ease.

"Where I stand against you?" Sasuke replied as he stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. "You won't be able to put one scratch on my forehead," he claimed arrogantly as he tapped it with his thumb. Now this was a more comfortable situation.

"Even so, you still should put this on," Naruto suggested as he tossed something over to his friend and rival. Sasuke caught it and stared down at his old forehead protector. He slowly ran his finger along the scratch Naruto had made during that battle. As he was doing so, Naruto made the comment, "Nothing that can't be fixed."

A smirk gradually gracing his features, Sasuke tied the forehead protector in place and assumed a fighting stance as Naruto also readied himself for the fight. _Thank you, Naruto._

* * *

The next morning, Sakura took Naruto with her to run some errands just as Kakashi had asked her to the night before so that he could speak with Sasuke alone. They walked through the town stopping at various shops to replenish the supplies for Kakashi and Naruto's trip to the Sand village. Their conversation had been casual and about general topics, until they left the grocery store to make their way back to the apartment. 

"So how are things really going, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked finally.

Sakura had been wondering when he was going to bring up the subject, and she hadn't planned on bringing it up herself if he wasn't. "They're going well. I'm happy here, although I definitely miss being back in Konoha, my family, and I've even missed you," Sakura teased with a smile.

"And Sasuke?"

"He treats me well. He actually started training me in genjutsu recently, by his suggestion, too." Naruto made no attempt at a reply, so Sakura continued, "We get along pretty well, and he seems to be opening up a little bit more. I really don't mind living here."

"But does he love you?" Naruto asked.

Sakura sighed. "I honestly don't know how he feels, but probably not. But I haven't really expected that from him for a long time," her voice trailed off.

"Has he tried to…"

Sakura shook her head, knowing what Naruto was going to say before he could finish his sentence. "No, nothing like that has happened between us again." They walked the rest of the way back in silence until they reached the apartment building.

"Oh, crap! I forgot to pick up napkins, we're all out," Sakura spoke in frustration. "I can go back if you want to go ahead up to the apartment."

"Don't be ridiculous, you go up and I'll go back and buy some."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Sakura asked him.

"No, go relax and take it easy, I can run out and back quickly," he insisted.

"Ok, I'll see you in a bit then," Sakura called as he was already running back in the direction they had walked. She smiled at his enthusiasm as she climbed the steps to the apartment. _I sure do miss having him around_, Sakura thought cheerfully as she came up to the door. She was about to open the door when she overheard Kakashi and Sasuke's conversation.

"This was all her idea," she overheard Sasuke say in what sounded to be a frustrated tone as she pressed her ear up against the door. _I guess he's talking about insisting that he take me with him_, she surmised.

"Well, Naruto and I will be gone for a few days. I suggest you make your decision and tell her how you feel before then." It was more difficult to make out what Kakashi was saying since he was talking in his usual casual tone.

_Is Kakashi-sensei telling Sasuke he has to decide how he feels about me within the next few days? But why would he insist on that?_ Hearing no more words being exchanged, Sakura very audibly turned the knob and opened the door. "I'm back!" she called cheerily as she walked into the entryway.

"Ah, where's Naruto? He didn't get lost did he?" Kakashi asked jokingly.

"No, I just forgot something so he went back to buy it. He should be back in a few minutes," she explained. Sasuke didn't bother to say anything or even look up at her from where he was standing in the living room. "Are you two leaving as soon as Naruto gets back?"

"Yeah," Kakashi replied.

An awkward silence descended upon the room as all three of them looked off into different directions. "Oh yeah!" Sakura exclaimed. "I bought some o-bentou (boxed lunches) for you guys to take with you. It's my treat since I can't go with you guys. I would have liked to visit Chiyo-baa-sama's grave," Sakura spoke a little sadly. _But someone has to stay and make sure Sasuke-kun doesn't try to run off again, and I can't travel nearly as fast as Kakashi-sensei and Naruto in my condition, so I'm stuck here_, Sakura thought, recalling what she and Kakashi had discussed the previous night.

"That was a nice gesture, Sakura. And I'll be sure to pay a visit there for you," Kakashi replied.

"I'd appreciate it," Sakura spoke softly.

At that moment, Naruto flung open the door and entered the room with his usual exuberance. "I'm back!" Naruto called. "What did I miss?"

After Sakura wished each of them a goodbye, Kakashi and Naruto set off for the Sand village, and Sakura and Sasuke were once again left alone in their apartment.

Sakura immediately occupied herself by putting away all the things she had purchased that morning.

"So were you going to tell me they were coming?" Sasuke blatantly asked her.

Sakura let out a sigh. She hadn't heard that tone of voice since they had fought over a very similar subject. "Yes? Maybe…I hadn't decided yet, and I was supposed to have another few days to think it over. I knew you'd be mad about this, but that wasn't why I was hesitating to tell you. It was because I thought you might run off again if you found out." She didn't hear any response from Sasuke behind her. "And I'm not sure if you know why they're here, but the reason-"

"I know. Kakashi-sensei already told me," he interrupted.

Sakura slowly turned around as Sasuke walked up behind her, and was shocked when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her tightly. Swallowing hard, she soon wrapped her arms around his body to return the hug that had taken her by surprise.

_I was planning on doing this alone, I thought that was the only way I could achieve my revenge. But maybe it is better this way_, he contemplated before whispering the words, "Thank you," in her ear. He felt her squeeze him tighter as he spoke them, and he took in the feeling of her closeness as she did so.

After a few minutes, Sasuke released his hold on her and took a step back. Suddenly feeling very awkward with his action, he quickly explained, "I'm going to go train by myself. I probably won't be back for a while, so I'll see you when you get back from work." Sakura looked like she was about to say something, but he spoke first, "And don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I will be back." He took one more step back before turning and walking out the door.

Sakura just stood unmoving for a few minutes yet, not sure what to make of what just happened; it certainly wasn't what she was expecting, and she wasn't sure what to expect next. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she recalled Kakashi's words about Sasuke making a decision about her.

Sasuke had sprinted as fast as he could the entire way to the clearing where they normally trained. He paused for a moment to lean against a tree when he arrived there. _I can't believe I just did that. Why did I hug her like that? I didn't even realize I was doing it until I had already done it. She had just looked so…vulnerable as she was trying to explain herself, thinking I'd be mad at her. Well, I was trying to be for doing that behind my back, but…she's right in that as much as I'd prefer to not have them involved in this, I probably can't do this alone. When she had said that she and Naruto were willing to help me, I never thought they'd do anything like this._

He let out a sigh as the end of the conversation he had had with Kakshi played over again in his mind.

* * *

"What do you intend to do about your revenge, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked him. 

And he responded angrily with, "If you're asking me if I'm going to choose to stay with her or fulfill my revenge, you should already know my answer from my actions last time. I never wanted to bring her here, but she insisted on it. So I brought her along. I had no intention on fighting Itachi with her here, so I got her to agree to go back to Konoha when it came close to the time for the baby to be born, so I was going to start searching for him then and just train in the meantime. I never had any intention of putting her in danger."

"I guess she didn't tell you then," Kakashi mused.

"Tell me what?"

"Why Naruto and I are here. Team 7 was assigned a mission. Itachi and Kisame had been sighted traveling outside the border of the Wind Country, so Naruto and I are leaving shortly to get all the information we can to track them down and take them out. You've been assigned this mission, too, if you'd like to accept it. The Hokage-sama has been gracious enough to agree to reduce your punishment if you accept and succeed in this mission, thanks to constant letter writing from Sakura. She sent a letter every day for weeks for Naruto to deliver to Tsunade until she caved in. Sakura's been quite persistent on your behalf. You should be more than grateful to her," he lectured him. "Not only is she making arrangements for you to fulfill your revenge, she did so in a way to not only increase your chances of success but also make it easier for you to return to Konoha."

Sasuke hadn't responded but the words hit him pretty hard.

Kakashi continued, "And you know what else Sakura told me? I had asked her last night why she was here, and do you know what her answer was?" Kakashi hadn't expected any response from the boy, so he answered right away. "'He's clearly set on this path of revenge. I can't understand the pain he suffered, but it must have been great if he feels the only way to resolve it is to kill his brother. So if his heart is set on going down this dark path, I'm at least going to make sure he doesn't go down it alone so when he reaches the end, he'll have someone there to pick him up and guide him back if he needs it.' That's what she said, Sasuke. She's not making you choose. And Naruto isn't either because he feels the same way and is eager to help you in whatever way he can. And while I still don't like the idea of revenge, you can thank those two for convincing me that at least this way is better than you doing it alone. You have a choice in letting the darkness of your revenge continue to take over your heart, or letting your friends in to help bear the load and at the same time start to work your way back to being a ninja of Konoha." He paused a moment before bringing up the question he had already asked. "So all that's left is what are you going to do about your revenge? Are you going to accept this mission, accept our help, or do you still insist on doing it on your own and outside the framework of Konoha?"

The only thing he could say at the time was, "This was all her idea?" It was a question, but it came out sounding more like a statement from still trying to wrap his mind around what all she had done for his sake, and sort through a mixture of anger and gratitude that conflicted within him.

"Well, Naruto and I will be gone for a few days. I suggest you make your decision and tell her how you feel before then." Kakashi spoke in his usual casual tone.

* * *

Sasuke sighed again. He had convinced himself for so long that he had to do this alone, that only he could take care of this task. There were a number of reasons that would make his decision rather obvious: he'd have a higher success rate certainly if it were 3 against 2; it would make his return to Konoha easier if he wanted to go back, although he was sure there'd still be plenty of punishment waiting for him; he wouldn't have to feel alone anymore. The last reason was the most convincing and the most hindering at the same time. But he let himself smile a little as he thought of Naruto's comment when he gave him his forehead protector back, and how much Sakura had done to bring this about. He certainly didn't deserve teammates like that, he knew that for sure, but could he accept what they were offering him? He used the entire day to go over that very question in his mind as he trained to the point of exhaustion before returning to the apartment after dark. 

Sakura was already asleep in her room when he returned, so he quietly showered and got ready for bed and went to sleep himself. He woke up in the middle of the night, though. He sat up and strained his ears trying to figure out what woke him up. He could vaguely hear muffled noises coming from the bedroom. Sasuke quietly walked up to the door and pressed his ear against it. _Is she crying?_ he thought from what he could make from the sounds. He cautiously opened the door and found her curled up on her side on the bed, her back facing him. Her body was shaking, so he guessed that indeed she was crying. A little hesitant to disturb her, but unsure if it was something serious that he should check on her just in case, he spoke up to alert her of his presence, "What's wrong?" He had meant it to come out with more concern, but his voice wasn't used to conveying such emotions anymore.

He watched as her body stiffened before she sat up in the bed, leaning on her arms behind her. "Nothing, I'm fine," she responded blankly.

"Do you…do you want to talk about it?" he forced himself to ask. It didn't seem as serious as the last time she was upset, but it was still the least he could offer after all he now knows she's done for him.

She shook her head, her tears glinting in the moonlight streaming in through the window.

"I think you should," Sasuke insisted, somehow gaining a little more confidence that this was the right thing to do. "Come out to the living room." When she didn't make any indication she was about to move, he added, "I don't mind listening." _It's the least I can do…_

Sakura took a deep breath and threw off the covers and followed him out to the living room. She lazily plopped down onto the couch as Sasuke hesitantly sat down next to her, but not too close. "Um…what is it this time?" Sasuke asked when he saw she made no attempt to start the conversation.

"It's always something with me, isn't it?" she responded bitterly. "Always something I'm crying about."

"I…uh…I didn't mean-"

"I was just thinking about what I did. Talking to Kakashi-sensei reminded me of exactly how low I let myself fall. I let you have sex with me! I did that, it was my fault! I brought this upon myself, and I hate myself for being so stupid!" she screamed as she held her round stomach.

"But I asked you to do it."

"But you didn't force me, I decided to do it. How could I be so stupid!" she shouted again.

Sasuke nervously tried to work up the courage to say the words he'd been meaning to say to her. She needed to hear them. "If you're this upset…if you're this upset about it, think of how I feel knowing that if it weren't for me, it never would have happened." She turned to him in shock at finally hearing something of how he feels. She looked at him with wide eyes that begged to hear more from him. Sasuke dropped his gaze in shame, "I'm sorry, Sakura. You don't know how many times I've cursed myself for ever even coming up with the idea, let alone carrying it out and hurting you and using you like that. I still can't believe I actually did that," he managed to get out, though his breath was a bit shaky. "But don't blame yourself, because I know you did it for my sake, so let me take all the blame for it. It's what I deserve."

But at his words, Sakura only started to cry harder. _Did I say something wrong? I was trying to make her feel better about herself by-_ his thoughts were cut off as she suddenly threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around his body and crying violently into his chest. He gently placed a hand on her head and lightly ran his fingers through her hair, letting her cry on him for as long as she needed to.

After a while, without lifting her head up Sakura finally spoke up again, "Sasuke-kun, why did you do that? Why did you come to me?"

Sasuke looked down at her, but made no reply.

"Was it just for an heir before it was too late? Was that the only reason?" she questioned him.

"I…I don't know," he finally responded.

Sakura pulled herself away from the embrace and simply nodded. Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand she stood up. "I'm going to go back to bed now, I think I want to be alone now," she said solemnly as Sasuke watched her walk back into the bedroom and close the door behind her. He wished he could be for her what she wanted him to be.

Sasuke then also stood up from the couch and climbed back into his futon on the floor, but sleep eluded him for the remainder of the night.

* * *

Sasuke had once again spent the entire day training by himself, but this time when he came home, although the apartment was dark, he noticed that the bedroom door had been left open. Walking over, he paused in the doorway as he took in the sight of Sakura sitting on the windowpane gazing out the open window; she was bathed in moonlight. Not wanting to disturb the serenity of the scene, he remained silent where he was. A few moments later though, Sakura sensed his presence and slowly turned her head around to face him. 

"Welcome home," she spoke softly to him across the room.

"What…what are you doing sitting at the window like that?" he asked in low tones. "Can't sleep?"

She placed her hand on her stomach as she replied, "Yeah, the baby's been kicking a lot tonight. But this is something I do whenever I feel lonely, look up at the stars," she explained. "The moon's nearly full tonight, it's really pretty."

"Do you feel lonely here with me?" he questioned her from across the room.

"Sometimes," she remarked with a smile. "You have a tendency to go off in your own world, so I do feel a little like I'm alone, sometimes."

"Hn." _Lonely, huh?_

They looked at each other for a few minutes, neither one venturing to speak. But eventually, Sakura broke the silence. "What are you thinking, Sasuke-kun?" she asked quietly.

"I think I have an answer to what you asked me last night," he replied.

"What was the question again? I can't remember."

"You asked me why I came to you in the first place," he answered.

"Oh." She paused before nervously prompting, "So what's the answer?"

"I guess part of it was because I felt lonely. And it always seemed a little better when I was around you. I'm sorry I was so selfish." Sakura made no reply but just kept staring at him from her position at the window. Sasuke began to stammer slightly, "I guess…I guess those words you had said at our parting, they…they…you don't know how many times those words played over and over again in my mind. And no matter how resolved I tried to be to put them out of mind, they never left me. So eventually I started to devise a plan, and over time, the plan replaced the original reason. But I never really planned to carry it out, just thinking of the possibility helped relieve the loneliness some. But one night, I caved in and left Sound for Konoha. Do you know what night that was?"

Sakura shook her head.

"It was the night my brother killed my clan. I'm not trying to excuse my behavior or decisions, I was selfish and I used you. I just…I just thought you'd want to know since you're always asking me what I'm thinking." Sasuke turned and began to walk away, but Sakura quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him from behind when she reached him.

"Please, Sasuke-kun, stop," she begged as a few tears ran down her cheeks. "I forgive you, Sasuke-kun. I forgive you. Please, don't leave. Just stay with me for a little bit."

But instead of replying, he pulled out of her embrace, but immediately turned around and bent down until his lips met hers. He lifted his hands up and caressed her face as he continued to kiss her desperately. He felt the door that he had done his best to close on his emotions nearly 10 years ago, the door that had been threatening to open back up since he joined team 7, the hinges of which that had been loosened from Naruto's words the other day, now flung itself wide open with Sakura's words of forgiveness.

Letting his hands drop from her face, he quickly enclosed them around her waist and pulled her in closer to him as he felt her wrap her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Sakura felt him guide her slowly over to the bed and he laid her down gently on it as he stretched himself out on top of her, careful not to put much weight on her stomach as his kisses moved from her lips to her check, then down to her neck. Sakura's heart raced faster than it ever had in her life as she felt his lips and hands caress her body so gently yet desperately. She closed her eyes from the overwhelming sensation before opening them again when she no longer felt his lips on her neck to find him gazing at her, his face close to hers.

She swallowed hard and stared back up at him. _How am I going to tell him that I'm not ready for that yet?_ she asked herself as she tried to work up the courage. _But I don't want him to change his mind because of that. But I just can't right now, I'm not ready yet._

As she was still devising how to word it, she heard Sasuke say gently, "We don't have to, I understand," as he slowly dropped down onto the bed next to her, his arm draped just above her round stomach. He slid his other arm underneath her neck as he rested comfortably beside her, still not even sure what exactly he was feeling at that moment, but not particularly caring.

After getting her heart rate back down to normal and pulling herself out of the bubble of disbelief, Sakura rolled onto her side to face Sasuke. "Thank you," she gratefully expressed to him.

Still feeling the rush of all the feelings he had been hiding, repressing, and denying for so long coming to the surface, and even acting on some of those, Sasuke furrowed his brow as he replied, "You don't have to thank me. You've done a lot more for me."

A tender smile spread across her face before she suddenly cried out, "Oh!"

"What?" he asked, a little concerned.

"The baby started kicking really badly all of a sudden," she informed him.

"He did?"

"He? You think it'll be a boy then?"

"I don't know, maybe," he replied. And then without a word, for the first time, he slid his hand down to gently rest it on her stomach to feel the movements of the baby, their baby, growing inside. Sakura gave a momentary look of surprise, but her expression quickly softened as she covered his hand with hers, their fingers eventually interlacing as Sasuke leaned in to kiss her once again. _Is this really happening? Can I really do this?_ he doubted himself as he did so.

When they had ended the kiss, Sakura once again cried out, "Oh!"

"Is he kicking again?"

"No, a craving just suddenly hit."

"I'll get it. The usual?" Sakura nodded her head. "What topping this time?"

"Hmm, chocolate syrup sounds good."

"I'll be right back." He then climbed out of bed, but before he exited the room, though, he walked over to the dresser they shared and tossed her pajamas to her while he took his own with him to change into in the bathroom.

As he was getting the dessert, Sakura changed into her pajamas and sat back down on the bed, still feeling like she was half in a daze. She couldn't believe it, Sasuke did feel that way about her. The feeling was more overwhelming than she ever could have imagined. But she tried to contain her excitement as Sasuke returned with the ice cream.

"I know my appetite's increased, but one bowl would have been plenty for me," she remarked, nodding to the more than one bowl he was carrying.

"One's for me," he replied.

"I thought you didn't like sweet desserts."

"I don't, but I thought I'd try to figure out what you liked so much about it."

"Oh, ok." _I still can't get over how much more at ease he is now,_ she thought as he sat down on the bed, facing her. _I always knew it was in there somewhere, but I almost stopped believing it'd ever surface._ She looked into his bowl and saw he had use strawberries as his topping, which suddenly looked very appetizing to her. Noticing the focus of her attention, Sasuke pulled the bowl a little closer to him as he protectively started to eat his dessert.

Sakura also started eating, but there was something she had to ask him. "So, you're really ok with this, right? Because you really don't have to decide anything now if you're not ready. I'd rather you not make a rushed decision that you might later regret."

Noticing the look of concern on her face, Sasuke replied, slightly confused, "What are you talking about. Rushed decision?"

Sakura confessed, "I overheard your conversation with Kakashi-sensei, and how he said you had to decide before they returned about how you felt about me."

"He didn't say anything like that," Sasuke corrected her as he continued to eat the ice cream, although making a slight face at the taste.

"He didn't?"

"No, he was talking about whether I was willing to accept his and Naruto's help, along with the mission to…" Sasuke's voice trailed off as he let the spoon slip out of his grasp and clank against the side of bowl.

Sakura quickly set her bowl down on the dresser next to the bed, and did the same with Sasuke's before she reached over to hold him. "It's ok," she spoke softly near his ear. "They would want you to have this, it doesn't mean you've forgotten them or love them any less. You're still going to go after him as soon as Kakashi-sensei and Naruto come back with information; you're still going to accomplish your goal." She squeezed him a little tighter with no intention of letting go until she knew that he was all right. And while it broke her heart to see him in such a state, she also felt a slight twinge of happiness that he was finally letting her comfort him. "It wasn't your fault that it happened, what he did. You don't have to carry that burden alone, Naruto and I and Kakashi-sensei are here for you now," she whispered to him as she let him hold onto her for support.

"Sakura," he spoke up after a while, his voice so despondent, "why did you first start liking me?"

After pausing a moment to think, she replied, "Because you were someone with so much talent, and you always exceeded everyone's expectations while I only continued to disappoint myself. I guess I felt if I could get the attention of someone like you, that then that meant I was the type of person I could be proud of. But also, just being around you, I felt like I could pretend I was already like you. I realized that after you left that I had always leaned on you for strength without ever really finding my own. But it was because of you and Naruto that I had the courage to eventually find that strength…um, sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on like that about myself."

"No," Sasuke responded quietly, "thank you."

She turned her head to kiss him on the cheek as she asked him, "Did you want to go to sleep now?"

He nodded dejectedly as he lay down on the bed, pulling her gently down next to him. Pulling the covers over them, Sakura slid in close to him and pressed her body against him, resting her head on his chest and her arm across his body as he wrapped his arm around hers. He used his free hand to run his fingers through her hair absently as he allowed her presence to soothe the painful throbs of his emotions. He kissed her on top of her head before shifting his position slightly as he tried to relax himself for sleep. He felt her hand run gently up and down his side as she whispered to him, "I love you, Sasuke-kun." But even those words couldn't completely erase the all the anxiety and anguish he felt, and it was a long while before he was finally able to fall asleep, only to meet with images of the night his clan had been killed. But somehow, even in his sleep, he could still feel the hold she had on him.

And in the morning when he awoke, although he could see the images from his nightmares in front of his eyes, he wasn't alone anymore. His gaze fell upon her face as she slept peacefully in his arms, a small smile touching the corners of her lips. And a tiny sliver of comfort planted itself amongst the grief and sorrow that filled his heart.


	15. Chapter 15 Acknowledgement

A/N: Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter. There's still one more to go. But this chapter definitely gave me some trouble writing it, and I'd like to say thanks to my buddy "Nickers" for helping me with the fight scene. Oh, and the site where I normally get sound clips from is temporarily down, so I'll post the link on my profile page as soon as it's back up.

Disclaimer: Don't worry, I don't claim Naruto for my own.

_**Chapter 15: Acknowledgement**_

And in the morning when Sasuke awoke, although he could see the images from his nightmares in front of his eyes, he wasn't alone anymore. His gaze fell upon Sakura's face as she slept peacefully in his arms, a small smile touching the corners of her lips. And a tiny sliver of comfort planted itself amongst the grief and sorrow that filled his heart. He was so absorbed into the moment that he didn't hear the front door quietly open and two sets of footsteps entering the apartment.

Naruto looked on the floor in the living room and saw that Sasuke's futon was neatly made. _He must already be out training, I guess_, Naruto supposed as he excitedly walked back to the bedroom, Kakashi lazily lagging behind him. He walked up to the door and opened it up and started to say, "Hey, Sakura-chan, are you awake…" His voice trailed off as he took in the image of Sakura sleeping in Sasuke's arms, her head resting on his chest. Her back was to him, so she couldn't see the expression on Naruto's face, but Sasuke could see it as he looked back at him with an equally surprised look.

Sasuke hastily slipped out of bed as Sakura turned over to look, but Naruto had already disappeared from the doorway while Kakashi was just walking up to it, curious to see what made Naruto run out the door of the apartment in such a rush. He was surprised to see Sasuke and Sakura in their pajamas in the bedroom together, Sakura still in the bed and Sasuke seemingly just having got out of it. _What happened during the 2 days we were gone?_ he wondered before Sakura brushed past him without a word after having thrown a shirt over her pajamas. He heard the front door open and close behind him, although he had yet to move from his position at the doorway. "So what happened? Are you two…?" Kakashi implied as Sasuke grunted in annoyance and slammed the door on him. He started to get dressed and he was half-way done when he heard Kakashi speak through the door.

"We know where to find Itachi."

Quickly changing his pants, he opened the door back up expectantly as he asked, "When do we leave?"

"In a few hours," Kakashi responded. "Naruto and I should get some rest before heading out since we've been traveling all night." Sasuke nodded absently as his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

* * *

Sakura opened the door to the roof and walked out onto it, not surprised to find Naurto sitting on the ledge; she had noticed during the time they had spent living together he often sat on the roof whenever he had something on his mind. 

"Naruto," she spoke gently in his direction. She walked up behind him and asked him, "May I sit down?"

Naruto nodded, but didn't speak. He was uncharacteristically quiet, and Sakura knew that was a bad sign. "Hey, I'm sorry-"

"It's ok, Sakura-chan," he interrupted as he turned to her and smiled, although she could still see the pain behind it, "I already knew you liked Sasuke, it just caught me off guard, that's all."

"No, it's not ok. I hate to see you hurt like this. I wish…I wish there was something I could do. Naruto, I care about you so much. I wouldn't even be who I am today if it weren't for you. Without you, I might never have found the courage to train under Tsunade. My life wouldn't be the same without you in it." Naruto just bowed his head again, so she tried laying her hand on his shoulder to try to further comfort him when she heard someone step onto the roof behind them. She turned around to see that it was Sasuke.

"Kakashi wants to discuss plans with you," Sasuke announced to her. And she was about to protest, but something in his look made her stop herself. She nodded as she swung around and walked back over to the door leading into the apartment building. She turned her head slightly as she passed through it to catch Sasuke taking a seat next to Naruto out of the corner of her eye before closing the door behind her.

After a few minutes of silence, Naruto offered his congratulations.

"Don't congratulate me, Naruto," Sasuke replied. "I don't deserve her. I don't deserve any of this. You're the one she should be with. You never betrayed her, you never abandoned her. You're a much better person than I am."

"But you're the one she chose. You're the one who can make her happy in a way I never could."

"Funny."

"What is?" Naruto asked.

"I always thought that about you." The two boys exchanged a look, an understanding passing between them that no words could adequately convey. "I can't do this," Sasuke confessed. "I thought it was what I wanted, it's still what I want I think, but I just…can't."

"Yes you can," Naruto assured, setting aside his own pain to encourage a friend. He paused before adding, "She really makes it easy, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered in agreement before he even realized he had said anything aloud. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "Kakashi-sensei was saying that he would take on Kisame alone, while we would pair up against…my brother. Is that ok with you?"

_He's letting me help him fight Itachi? He doesn't mind sharing that with me?_ Naruto just stared at his teammate for a full minute in shock before he could make a reply. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't think you'd want me to. Have a part of it, I mean. I want to fight along side you, yes!" Naruto spoke emphatically.

Sasuke, although stoic as ever on the outside, inwardly smiled at the emotional display of his teammate. But in keeping with their usual behavior, he warned, "But you better not get in my way."

"Ha! You're going have to make sure you're not in _my_ way for the final blow," he challenged right back.

"I'd like to see you manage to get even one hit on him," Sasuke smirked at him.

"Yeah, well, you better just stay back all together so you don't get hurt," Naruto suggested with a huge grin on his face.

"Maybe you two should do a little less talk and a little more getting ready," Kakashi interrupted. Both of them turned around, surprised by his presence and having their exchange intruded upon. "Naruto, go get some rest before we head out. Sasuke, go help Sakura get everything ready for the trip," he ordered before turning back around and entering the building, a bewildered smile gracing his masked face as he thought to himself, _Those kids…amaze me. Who would have thought Naruto and Sakura could overcome such a hopeless situation with their determination, and that Sasuke would let them._

Naruto and Sasuke both hopped off the ledge and back onto the roof and followed not too far behind Kakashi.

Sasuke surprised Naruto by speaking up before they left the roof, though. "So you're ok with this, right? I mean, with Sakura…and me," he nervously asked as he paused at the doorway. "Because I don't have to be, I mean, if you want to be with her. It should be you."

"Well, I'll accept your comment that I'm the better one between us, and we'll leave it at that," Naruto generously offered. And a rare smile actually worked its way into Sasuke's countenance at the reply.

Without another word, they both entered the building and went back down to the apartment. It was good to have the other back again, each of them thought.

* * *

"Hey, so why do you think Sasuke went to Sakura instead of me?" Naruto had asked Kakashi as they traveling, before they had met up together with Sasuke and Sakura. 

"I don't know, Naruto. Maybe it was because he feels too guilty to face you after your fight at the Valley of the End," Kakashi ventured a guess. "He hadn't really done anything like that to Sakura before he left, so maybe it was an easier transition."

"Yeah, maybe," Naruto replied.

"You don't sound satisfied with that answer."

"Do you think it's because he thinks I can't help him? I've been training all this time, and I've gotten really strong now." _But I'm always afraid that it's not enough_, Naruto thought but didn't say aloud.

"I don't think that's it," Kakashi answered him with a little sigh. "You may not have realized this, but part of what drove him away was because you were getting so strong."

"What do you mean?"

"Sasuke has been living toward the goal of defeating his brother since his childhood. And it had pushed him to excel in the academy, and he used the rivalry between you two to also push himself to become strong. But after you started training with Jiraiya, you started catching up a little too quickly, and maybe even surpassed him. But if he were to acknowledge that, it would at the same time be acknowledging his own lack of progress and failure at being able to succeed in his revenge. And that was probably part of what convinced him to find alternative means to becoming strong faster than he was here in Konoha," Kakashi explained.

Naruto let Kakashi's words sink in. _Sasuke doubts himself, too? Doubts his own strength? But he was always so strong, I was always trying to catch up with him._ Naruto thought back to the night Sasuke left, and how he had assured Sakura that Sasuke wouldn't leave because he was strong and wouldn't listen to Orochimaru's offer. Now he saw where he was mistaken, not in Sasuke's strength, but in the boy's perception of it. _And I was a part of that, I helped drive him away_, Naruto thought angrily at himself. _Why didn't I see that? I could have convinced him to stay, I'm sure of it._

"And there may be one more reason why he doesn't want your help," Kakashi interrupted his thoughts. "He took Sakura with him, but she wouldn't be able to join in the fight, so he wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt or possibly killed by Itachi. He had already taken away everyone precious to him once before." But then the older man suddenly brightened to his usual demeanor, "But then again, I may have no idea what I'm talking about."

_I still wish he'd at least let me help, though_, Naruto thought.

* * *

While Naruto and Kakashi napped in the living room, Sakura gathered everything they'd need in bedroom as she fastened her own medical pack to her back. She had already told the restaurant owner that there was a family emergency and that they had to leave right away and wouldn't return; the same with the landlord. "You aren't going," she heard from behind her. 

"Yes I am," she replied defiantly as she turned around and stared fiercely at Sasuke.

"I don't want you anywhere near there," he stated.

"Too bad," she answered with a smirk as she walked past him to do a last minute check that she had everything ready to go. He followed right behind her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fight in my condition, but I can still be of use if one of you gets injured. Don't you want to be able to get healed up and re-enter the battle? It'll increase your chances for success," she pointed out. _And increase all of your chances for making it out alive. That's one of the reasons I trained to be a medic nin, so I could help as much as I could._ She pushed the thought of possibly losing one of them out of her mind, the last thing they needed was for her to worry about them; she needed to focus on doing everything she could for them.

When she was satisfied that she had indeed had everything prepared for them, she stopped and turned to face him squarely. "Ok, now I can't travel for as long periods as you three, so I'm heading out now and hopefully I won't arrive too much after you 3 with this head start," she explained, but quietly so as not to disturb the two sleeping team members.

"You know where he will be?" Sasuke questioned her.

"Yeah."

"And where is it? Or aren't you going to tell me because you think I'll go ahead on my own," he accused.

"Basically," she replied as she reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. But as casual as she was trying to be, all she could think about was how hard this was going to be for him to do, and she didn't have the battle in mind. She was about to turn and walk to the door, but Sasuke took a firm grip on her arm to prevent her from doing so.

"I don't like you traveling alone."

"I know," she replied gently, "but there's nothing you can say that will convince me not to," she ended, determination written on her face.

Sasuke let go of his grip, and simply said, "Take care of yourself."

Sakura gave him a small smile. "I will." And with that, she turned and left.

* * *

After traveling for the remainder of that day, all through the night, and part of the next day, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke finally caught up with Itachi and Kisame. 

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke. Although there was nothing in his expression to show what he was feeling, Naruto could somehow still sense his anxiety mixed in with anticipation. He recalled what Sakura had told him before they had left the apartment building that morning they had run errands together.

"I'm not sure if he'll really be able to go through with killing his brother. While he does have a lot of anger, I think it's more complicated than that. If you see him hesitate, do whatever you can to hold Itachi down. Can you do that for me?" Sakura had asked of him.

"But what are you-"

"Trust me on this, just do it for me. Please," she had begged him.

"Yeah, ok, Sakura-chan." She looked very relieved at his agreement, and then they had immediately started toward the first store, making light conversation after that.

"Remember, Naruto," Sasuke interrupted Naruto's recollection, "whatever you do, don't look in his eyes. I can help you break out of genjutsu, but damage from Tsukuyomu is instantaneous. I can withstand his technique now, so I'll take the front and you attack from behind as much as possible."

Naruto was going to reply back in their usual rivalry talk, but noticing the serious concern in his voice, he answered, "You don't have to worry about me, just take care of yourself." Sasuke nodded to him

A minute later, Kakashi gave the signal and the 3 of them initiated the attack just as they had planned it along the way.

* * *

After cursing herself for the thousandth time for having to stop and for a break so often, Sakura finally caught up to them and made a quick summary of the scene that lay before her. 

Kakashi was engaged in battle with Kisame. Although neither seemed to have sustained any serious injuries, Kakashi appeared to be running low on chakra, especially relative to his opponent who still seemed fairly fresh. Her eyes quickly swept over to the other group fighting. Sasuke was facing Itachi, while Naruto remained off to the side. Naruto's self-healing from the kyuubi seemed to holding up well, but Sasuke was favoring his left arm along with a few minor injuries; Itachi seemed to not have a scratch. She let out a sigh of relief that, at least so far, all 3 of them were pretty much all right.

She observed Naruto and one of his clones come in from behind with a rasengan, only to be disappointed as Itachi effortlessly flung him to the side. She watched as Naruto and his clone slid in between Kakashi and Kisame, but Kakashi was able to quickly catch Naruto and push him back toward Itachi, while the clone disappeared.

"All right, I'm going to end this now," she heard Kakashi boldly claim as he began to mold a lot of chakra. Kisame only smiled as he removed Samehada from his back and quickly swung around to attack him. Kakashi easily dodged the physical attack with his speed, but the sword absorbed all the chakra he had been molding. Kisame replaced the sword on his back and performed a series of seals. Having been drained of too much chakra, Kakashi was unable to avoid being caught in a water prison. Sakura was about to call out to have Naruto or Sasuke temporarily abandon their battle to help him when her eyes widened as the real Kakashi silently appeared from underground behind Kisame, who was suddenly taken by surprise as the Kakashi he had captured turned to water. He turned around just in time to meet a chidori through the chest. Sakura gasped as she watched not only Kisame's body slump to the ground, but also Kakashi's; she guessed and hoped from chakra depletion.

She quickly looked over to Naruto, who had noticed her presence, and he gave a quick nod of assurance that Kakashi was all right and for her to remain concealed. But as he was doing so, she let out a gasp as Itachi seemed to catch him in a genjutsu. Luckily, Sasuke wasn't far behind and helped him break free of it. Angry at himself for leaving such an opening, Naruto's temper began to rise. Fueling himself with some of the kyuubi chakra, he rushed in with amazing speed, but Itachi was able to evade every one of his attacks.

Sasuke observed the pattern of movement of the two with his sharingan, and slammed both hands into the ground as earth shot up and hardened into the shape of a spike where Itachi was about to step, but he was able to avoid both the earth spike and Naruto's taijutsu. However, it had slowed him down just enough for Sasuke to then catch and bind him with a snake jutsu that shot from his right hand. In a split second, his injured left arm, flared up with his own chidori as he pulled his brother toward him. But Itachi showed no fear on his face. Sakura thought she could see his lips moving, but was much too far away to hear what he had said. But the hand she had been holding over her mouth since she began observing the battle fell limply to her side as Sasuke's head dropped as the chidori flickered out and Itachi escaped with only a punch to the chest. _Was it the injury, or did Itachi say something that made him lose his resolve?_ Sakura wondered with concern. She didn't have long to deliberate on it, though, as her heart then started pounding as she watched Naruto rush in from behind with a kunai, but Itachi, though still bound by the snakes, was somehow able to avoid a critical hit as the weapon plunged into his side.

Itachi quickly turned around to face Naruto who quickly shut his eyes to avoid being caught in Tsukuyomi. The reflex ended up being unnecessary as Sasuke snapped back into action and slid in between them with a speed Sakura couldn't follow, blocking Naruto's vision had his eyes been open. And like her, Itachi didn't notice a mud bunshin Sasuke flying in from the side to knock him to the ground. The clone held him down while Sasuke jumped on top and pressed a kunai to his neck.

Sakura quickly ran out from behind the rock she had been hiding behind and took off in a dead sprint. Sasuke had hesitated in the finishing blow and had been effortlessly flung away and struck a boulder in his trajectory before landing with a thud on the ground. Naruto immediately created several clones and jumped onto Itachi almost the same instant Sakura reached him. Sasuke watched, frozen in place, as Sakura performed the same seals he had seen her do when she tried to stop Naruto during their fight. No, there were more this time. Before Itachi could destroy all the clones, Sakura dashed in straight for him, only to at the last second manipulate her chakra and launch herself over his had. Landing behind him, she stretched out as far as she could and was barely able to place her palm at the base of his back as he was already maneuvering away from her. Having at least completed that task, she quickly pushed herself backward and rolled into a slide and stopped her motion with both feet and one hand a few meters away. She had just started to stand back up as she found herself staring straight into a pair of sharingan eyes.

But Itachi grabbed Sasuke by his injured arm and painfully threw him to the side and she found herself now looking straight into a pair of mangekyou sharingan eyes. _He's so fast!_ she thought as she shut her eyes as quickly as she could, but when she opened them just a slit, she found herself in a strange world and her body was strapped onto a cross.

Naruto had already been rushing over in her direction, but seeing that it was too late to save her from the technique, he slightly altered his momentum and slammed hard into Itachi, hoping he could disrupt Tsukuyomi with physical force; one chakra tail already sprouting. Sasuke, who had also started running back in their direction, saw that Naruto had attacked Itachi, but Sakura was already falling, having succumbed to the technique. Using a chakra boost, he dove toward her and was able to catch her before she hit the ground, wincing slightly from the weight on his injured arm. He set her down gently and caressed her face for just a moment before standing up and clenching his fists. _This is my fault_, he cursed himself,_ I hesitated and didn't kill him when I had the chance. That won't happen again_, he swore.

Sasuke, having resolved to re-join the fight, was surprised to see that Itachi's chakra had been reduced to a dangerously low level, and his older brother was unable to free himself from the numerous Naruto clones who held him in place. Meanwhile Naruto, now with 2 tails showing, quickly charged up an oodama rasengan. But before he had a chance to strike, Naruto stopped short from seeing visible blue chakra emanating from a large whole in Itachi's chest as a shocked expression surfaced on Itachi's face. "Little brother," fell softly from his lips as he collapsed to the ground.

As the glow in his hand died down, Sasuke held his arm in pain, but turned to slowly walk back to Sakura's unconscious body where he had laid her on the ground. Naruto quickly regained his composure as one tail disappeared, and then the other, and soon joined Sasuke in kneeling next to Sakura.

Both of them looked down at her in sorrow for her suffering and in shamed that they couldn't prevent it. But Naruto was taken aback when Sasuke cried out in frustration as he bent over her body and held it close to him, tears of guilt running down his cheeks. Naruto silently placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and held Sakura's hand with his other.

"What happened?" they heard Kakashi ask from behind them a few minutes later. He had finally woken up from unconsciousness and currently stood not too far from them, looking down on them wearily.

Without looking up, Naruto answered seriously, "She got caught in Tsukuyomi. We need to get her help right away."

Kakashi just shook his head. "She's fine," he answered.

"What do you mean, I saw it, he used the mangekyou sharingan on her," Sasuke spoke up, although his voice was strained.

"Well then I don't understand it either, but she's perfectly fine. She just seems to be asleep." Sasuke sat up turned his head to look up at him and discovered he was looking at her with his sharingan. Turning his own back on, Sasuke also observed that indeed her chakra was perfectly normal; he had been too upset before to notice.

"But…how?" Naruto asked.

But Sakura was the first person to respond. "Do any of you need healing?" Sakura questioned weakly without opening her eyes.

Everyone was shocked and relieved into a silence. "Well?" Sakura asked again when she wasn't receiving any answer.

"I'm..I'm fine, Sakura-chan. We're all fine," Naruto replied, tears welling up in his eyes. Sasuke just stared down at her, not even noticing the pain in his arm. Sakura just nodded in acknowledgment as she fell back asleep.

* * *

In the Tsukuyomi dimension, Sakura saw through her still mostly closed eyes that several figures of Itachi approached her, each one carrying a katana. "I don't know what you were trying to do back there, but you are now in a world where I control time and space. And for 72 hours, I'm going to stab you with this katana." 

Sakura braced herself as two katana traveled quickly toward her. At the last second, she pulled hard and broke free from the bindings that held her to the cross and dropped down to a crouched position on the ground as the swords punctured the spot she had just occupied.

Itachi looked down at her. "That's interesting," he commented neutrally, although he couldn't hold back his surprise when she stood up and stared back at him with his own eyes.

A katana materialized at her side, and she quickly drew it in defense. "You may control this world, but you're not in control of me."

"What did you do? What was that technique?" he asked, once again composed.

"Why don't you defeat me and then I'll tell you," she challenged.

Although they fought in that world for a good few hours, barely an instant had transpired in reality. Never able to gain an advantage over her, and not wanting to waste anymore chakra, Itachi dropped the jutsu, only to be on the receiving end of an unexpected impact as confusion at being so weakened coming out of his technique left him vulnerable.

* * *

A few hours later, when Sakura was awake and somewhat refreshed, they finally were able to learn what had happened. 

"So what happened?" Kakashi inquired gently as she sat up.

After describing what the fight she had with Itachi in the Tsukuyomi world, Sakura explained, "Well, when I went to seal Itachi's chakra, using the same technique I tried and failed with Naruto before, I used a modification of that technique that I thought might make it more successful. I developed my own jutsu of intermixing a person's chakra with my own to be used at the same time as attempting the seal so I could more easily shut down the person's chakra with it. I came up with the idea from a comment that Tsunade made to me about being sensitive to other people's chakra from when I helped revive Jiraiya, and I was able to develop it from learning the more advanced chakra manipulation from Sasuke-kun as he was teaching me genjutsu. Anyway, since I had gotten in that first hit, the Tsukuyomi couldn't work on me since I could draw on his chakra while I was either in contact with him or trapped in that technique of his. So as we were fighting in the Tsukuyomi world, he didn't realize I was slowly draining his chakra the entire time. He couldn't have had much left when he eventually released it," she surmised.

"No, he was very easy to fight after that," Naruto confirmed.

"So you're all right then?" Sasuke asked, not bothering to hide the concern in his voice.

She smiled up at him warmly, "Yes, I'm fine. I didn't mean to worry anyone. Right now, I'm just exhausted. I'd really be drained, though, if I hadn't been using his chakra in addition to mine." She paused for a moment before asking her own question, "So what happened? Is he dead?"

"Yes, I…I killed him," Sasuke answered, but quickly added, "But Naruto had him pinned for me. He was able to call on the kyuubi chakra without losing control."

_He knows about that?_ Naruto pondered as he blushed a little as Sakura looked over and smiled at him this time.

"Really? Did you figure out a way to control it?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not really sure, but I was able to focus on only drawing what I needed," Naruto attempted for an explanation. "Maybe it was because I knew I had people counting on me that I had to protect." He didn't want to admit the real reason being that from Kakashi's words and Sasuke asking for his help, he finally acknowledged his own strength for himself, and that admission lent him great willpower over the runaway effects of using the kyuubi chakra.

"And how are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked him.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just exhausted like you. Sasuke can probably use some medical attention whenever you feel up to it, though," he suggested lightly.

"Oh," she cried out. "Your arm, right? Let me take care of it right away."

"It's ok, it's not that bad," he spoke up quickly, holding it back from her.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm fine. Let me look at it," she insisted stubbornly as she got up and moved closer to him. When he still refused her, she gave him a look that made him comply as he reluctantly held out his arm to her. Naruto just snickered at how he wasn't the only one Sakura could bully now, but soon quieted down with a menacing glance from Sasuke. Kakashi just sighed at the 3 of them as he pulled out his book.

They made the rest of the trip back with little conversation, especially from Sasuke. And about 5 days later, they had reached the familiar walls surrounding Konoha. Naruto quickly rushed in, anxious to be back and eat a meal at his favorite ramen place. Kakashi followed behind it, but at a much more leisurely pace, still reading his novel. Sakura was also excited to be back, but her smile quickly faded when she turned to look back at Sasuke.

"You're not coming in, are you?" she asked him although she already knew the answer.

He shook his head. "I'm not-"

"Ready?" she finished for him. _He had been so quiet the whole trip, probably still trying deal with everything emotionally._ His blank expression as Naruto had talked about how happy he was that the team was finally reunited again during their trip back played through her mind. She had expected this, she knew it was going to end this way, but it still was more painful than she ever expected it to be. Sakura bit her lip as she looked into his eyes. Before she would have a chance to regret it, she quickly ordered, "Go."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's not that I don't want-"

"You don't have to say anything. Just go," she told him quickly.

He reached out and placed a hand on her cheek before wrapping his arms around her in a hug. But a few minutes later, he let go and stepped back. Gazing at her one last time, he turned around and took off.

Sakura quickly rubbed her eyes and did her best to put on a cheerful face as she walked through the gates of Konoha, by herself.

* * *

Tsunade was not happy to say the least when Sakura informed her of Sasuke not returning to Konoha. But it wasn't so bad. 6 months of menial labor around the village was very generous of her considering all the stunts she had pulled over the past year. It had been a lot more difficult for Sakura to break the news to Naruto that Sasuke wasn't ready to return, but she assured him that he would come back eventually; he just needed time to sort some things out on his own. 

She was able to pick up the daily routine of Konoha again quickly as if she had hardly been gone. She and Ino hung out a lot more, of course only after being severely berated for not telling her the truth, but nothing a lot of gifts and freshly baked desserts couldn't resolve. And Sakura still couldn't figure out for the life of her how Naruto still didn't know that Hinata liked him. It brought a smile to her face whenever she saw them eating together occasionally at the ramen shop, but she couldn't help also feeling a little pang of loneliness at the same time.

A few weeks and 20 excruciating hours of labor later, Sakura knew it'd be a long time before she would feel lonely again, though, as she held her pink-haired daughter in her arms at the hospital. Naruto had offered to act as her father since there had still been no sign of Sasuke, but Sakura gently declined, insisting that the two of them would be fine, although frequent visits from a very good friend were more than welcomed.

_(Track 15)_  
But right now, it was past visiting hours and Sakura lay on her side on the bed, her little girl lying beside her.

"You're not mad at me for letting your father go, are you? I know you would have liked to have him around, but we'll survive just us two girls, right?" She smiled at the infant as she promised, "I'll do my best to raise you as a strong person. You know, it was your father who helped me realize the strength I always had, and because you're my daughter, that same strength is already in you. And I'll try to teach you to recognize it as well as he taught me, although maybe with a few more words and a little less injury," she joked as she lovingly rubbed the baby's tiny arms and legs. "Your father loves you, I'll make sure you know that." Sakura then spoke as if the baby had responded, "Yes, I know, he loves me, too. We just have to be patient and believe in him, and even if he never comes back, we won't let each other forget that. Ok?" Sakura's voice faltered a bit and she sniffled slightly, but she managed to hold back the tears. "That's right, we'll get through this. We'll find a way, because we know how to be strong," she whispered. "But one thing you won't have to worry about, you may only have one parent right now, but you've got a whole village for a family."

Tsunade had to wipe away the tears gently rolling down her face as she stood listening from out in the hallway before she could enter the room. "It's time for her to go to bed," Tsunade informed Sakura as she walked in and gently lifted the infant in her arms. "You'll see her again in the morning." She tried to smile at the young woman, but it only made it harder to hold back a fresh set of tears so she quickly turned to leave the room.

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura spoke up.

"Yes?" she replied as she took a deep breath and turned back around.

"I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry for all the lies, and for leaving without permission. Do you…do you consider me a disappointment?" she asked.

"No," Tsunade replied, no longer able to prevent the tears from streaming down her cheeks. "No, right now, I'm very proud of you."

At the emotional response, Sakura also could no longer hold back from crying. Tsunade walked back over and sat down on the bed next to her. And without either one saying another word, they simply took comfort in each other's tears.


	16. Chapter 16 Epilogue

A/N: Well, this is it, this is the final chapter. And it's not with a little bit of sadness that I must bring my first fanfic to its conclusion. Thanks to everyone who took time to read it, and I am especially grateful to those who helped and encouraged me with reviews. I don't know what else to say except I hope you like the ending.

Disclaimer: I've reached the end, and never gained the rights to Naruto along the way.

**_Chapter 16: Epilogue_**

"I'm glad we finally got to have that dinner I invited you to a long time ago," Sakura commented after she, Naruto, and Hinata had finished their meal in Naruto's apartment. "We should definitely do this again sometime, and invite more people."

"Yes, we should get together with all 12 of us from the chuunin exams. I mean 11 of us," Hinata quickly correct herself, although she inwardly scolded herself for the slip up. Naruto glanced in Sakura's direction and quickly changed the subject.

"Say, who wants to get in a little sparring?" Naruto asked enthusiastically.

"I don't have to be home for another hour," Hinata replied.

"I pass," Sakura answered. "I need to get home and take care of my bundle of joy."

"How is she doing?" Hinata asked. "How old is she again now?"

"She's wonderful. Just over 8 weeks now, I can't believe how fast time has flown. I feel like it was only yesterday I was in excruciating pain giving birth to her. But it really was worth it. Well, have fun training, you two," she wished them as she stood up from the table and waved as she made her way to the door.

After Sakura had left the apartment, Hinata asked Naruto, "Are you worried about her?"

"She won't even let me ask if she's all right," he replied, sounding a little down about it. "Let's go practice. Unless you don't want to since it'll just be the two of us."

"No, it's fine," Hinata answered.

"Yeah, ok, it'll be fun. We haven't hung out in a while since we've been going on different missions, so I'm glad Sakura arranged this dinner," Naruto rambled.

"Yeah, me, too."

They walked to one of the training areas a few minutes away and sparred back and forth for a while.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry! You aren't hurt are you?" Hinata asked with concern. She was helping him practice evading taijutsu by attacking with her jyuuken, but she accidentally hit him with one of her strikes when he faltered in his footwork. She could tell he wasn't really concentrating on their fight.

"I'm fine! See?" Naruto replied as he quickly stood back up. "It's not your fault, I just don't think I'm in as much of a sparring mood as I thought I was."

"Is it…Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah, I just can't stop thinking that I should have at least done something to convince him to stay. But once again I didn't even realize he planned on just leaving again. I thought for sure this time he was going to come back," he confessed as he kicked a small rock in frustration.

Hinata shook her head at him. "No, Sasuke-kun," she repeated, pointing behind him.

Naruto quickly whipped his head around to see that Sasuke was indeed standing there. "Sasuke!" he exclaimed. "You're…back." Feeling out of place, Hinata decided to quietly slip away.

"Yeah, I'm back," Sasuke replied.

"Have you seen Sakura-chan and-"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, you're the first person I came to see."

"And you're here to stay this time?" Naruto asked.

"If you and Sakura want me to."

"Of course that's what we want! That wouldn't change," Naruto assured emphatically.

Sasuke nodded, and walking toward Naruto, he asked in a quieter, "How's Sakura doing, is she ok?"

"She seems to be happy, but she refuses to talk to me about it. But why come to me, why don't you just go see her for yourself?"

"I wanted to make sure she…wasn't with anyone first. Or if she's mad at me. Because then I wouldn't bother her-"

"There's never been anyone else, when are you going to learn that? Now stop being an idiot and go see her. She's living with her parents again." Naruto started shoving his teammate in the direction of her apartment.

But not wanting to be the only one feeling slightly embarrassed, Sasuke piped up, "Well what about you and Hinata? Are you two finally dating?"

"What are you talking about? Hinata and I just have fun hanging out. She doesn't like me like that, where would you get that idea?" Naruto asked as he ceased his pushing.

_And you're calling me the slow learner_, Sasuke thought sarcastically to himself.

"Stop stalling, just go!" Naruto pushed him, with words this time.

Sasuke take a deep breath, and letting it out, he quickly said, "Thanks, Naruto," as he turned and started walking down the street. After about 10 steps, he paused and turned back around. "You're taijutsu could use some work. How about a real match tomorrow morning? And I certainly won't go as easy on you as Hinata was," he challenged.

"Just name the time."

Sasuke was about to suggest 7am, but then quickly change his mind as he called out, "Does 10 work for you?"

"I'll be waiting right here," Naruto called back.

Sasuke just smirked as he turned back around and once again started walking down the streets of Konoha. Naruto also started walking home, but was startled by a quiet voice pulling him out of his reverie.

"So is everything ok?" Hinata asked from the bench he had just passed.

"Oh, Hinata! Where'd you go? I didn't even notice when you had left."

"I figured you two wouldn't want me there, so I just came over here."

Naruto took a seat next to her. "You didn't have to leave."

"I didn't mind," she replied.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Naruto asked her, "Can I ask you something? It's probably going to sound stupid, but I just wanted to know."

"Yes, go ahead and ask," Hinata prompted.

"Do you like me? I mean, as more than just a friend?"

Hinata's eyes grew big as she desperately struggled for the words she wanted to say. "I…uh…I wasn't expecting you to ask that. I…um…"

"It's ok, you can just say you don't. I only brought it up because Sasuke thought we were dating, but I told you definitely didn't like me like that," Naruto started to ramble. "I mean, you're just-"

"Yes!" Hinata cried out.

Now it was Naruto's turn to look shocked. "Huh?"

* * *

Sakura was just about to put the baby down to sleep when she felt a presence just outside her bedroom. She gently laid her in the crib and quickly turned around, readied for defense. Her heart just about stopped when she saw who it was standing at her balcony window, and she immediately ran over and opened the door. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him, but she restrained herself; despite her confident claims before that she believed he did love her, she really didn't know if that had changed in the meantime. 

She swallowed hard as she stepped aside to let him into the room and closed the door behind him. As she was trying to get past her nervousness in order to think of what would be the right thing to say, Sasuke surprised her by speaking up first.

"Sakura," he spoke softly, but he stopped at her name and never finished his sentence. She walked over to him and was about to ask him if everything was all right when he suddenly dropped down on his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her stomach, holding onto her as tight as he could.

Looking down at him, she gently placed her hand on his head in comfort.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm sorry for everything, for always pushing you away. You don't know how much I wanted to be with you, the whole time. But I was too scared to let you or Naruto get too close to me. I was afraid to get hurt, and I knew I would only hurt both of you with the darkness I have inside of me. I never wanted you to see that part of me. But I need you, Sakura. I don't know if I can love you like you want, I don't know if I'll ever be able to give you what you want. But as much as I can, I love you," he confessed through a strained voice as he clenched her shirt tightly. "I don't want to be alone anymore," he whispered.

Sakura slowly lowered down to her knees so they could be face to face. "You were never alone," Sakura whispered back to him as she caressed his face. Naruto and I were always here for you. All you have to do is let us in."

Sasuke pulled her close to him in a hug and held on tightly. "But after everything I did, I don't deserve-"

"No! Stop doing that, Sasuke! Everybody makes mistakes," Sakura interrupted him with a firm voice, "and everybody deserves a chance to change. It's not too late! Stop letting the past control you; the future is full of possibilities, and it's up to you to either let the things of the past inhibit you, or use them to grow stronger."

Sasuke loosened his embrace and pulled back to face her again. "Sakura…"

But Sakura hadn't finished everything she wanted to say. "Yes, you messed up, you went too far, but we all do that at some point. Don't let your mistakes define who you are because you can be so much better than that. I know that's not who you really are."

"Sakura…I…" he trailed off for the third time, but this time because he heard the sound of a sniffle outside her bedroom door.

"Excuse me," Sakura requested as she stood up and walked over to the door, opening it wide to reveal both her parents crouched down, eavesdropping behind it.

But her mother didn't miss a beat as she quickly stood up and walked over to Sasuke, arms open wide to receive him. "Sasuke-kun! I've been wondering when I was going to meet you properly as our son-in-law," she greeted warmly with a hug.

Her father wasn't far behind with a friendly handshake, while Sasuke was still held by her mother, as he kindly expressed to him, "It's good to finally have you here. We've been looking forward to welcoming you to the family."

Sakura remained back by the door, utterly horrified. She was about to silently mouth the words, "I'm sorry," to him until she noticed that Sasuke was sincerely appreciating the warm welcome into a new family. But after a few minutes of chatter, Sakura grew impatient and pulled her parents away, insisting that he'd want privacy in meeting the newest addition to the family he had yet to see. After exchanging mischievous grins, they complied and left them alone once again.

"I think my parents are insane," Sakura confessed as she shook her head and let out a sigh. But then her expression quickly brightened. "Would you like to hold her?"

Sasuke, who had appeared rather cheerful from the interaction with his in-laws, suddenly dropped all expression from his face as he suddenly didn't know what to feel. "So…so it's…a girl then?"

"Yes, I'm sorry it didn't turn out to be a boy like you were expecting," Sakura apologized as she walked to the other side of her room and lifted their baby from the crib. Sasuke walked up behind her, and she gently placed her in his arms.

"No, this far exceeds my expectations," he replied as he gazed down at his daughter. Holding her close against his body, his lips curled into a small, genuine smile, as he was trying to figure out what made him stay away for so long.

"I named her Hitomi, but we can change the name if you don't like it. I don't think she'll ever know the difference," she commented from at his side. But instead of bothering to make any kind of response, he simply turned his head in her direction and nodded, letting his eyes take in the sight of her. Slowly, he leaned in toward her, his lips meeting with and caressing hers. Sakura raised her hands and placed them on his face and letting them slide back to run her fingers through his hair. But as he was about to step in a little closer to her, she abruptly pulled away, letting her hands drop down to his shoulders.

From her sudden breaking of the kiss and the way her brow was furrowed, Sasuke was about to ask her if everything was ok, if it was something he did, when she held up her index finger and walked out of the room and into the hallway. "Mom!" she called down the steps. "Would you mind watching Hitomi tonight? I'll come back in a few hours for the next feeding."

Sasuke heard her mother give affirmation and watched Sakura quickly walked back toward him. Carefully taking Hitomi back from him, Sakura laid her down in the crib before roughly grabbing his hand and practically dragging him out the room and the apartment, waving a quick goodbye on their way out.

_(Track 16)_  
She was practically running down the street, and Sasuke soon realized where she was leading him. The Uchiha district. Coming upon the familiar street, Sasuke was surprised to see the cracked wall from when Itachi had thrown the kunai had been patched up and repainted. Entering his old house, he noticed the walls had been recently scrubbed and the wooden floors waxed, the moonlight reflecting off the surfaces.

"How…what…"

"It was part of my sentence of 6 months of tasks such as these. I hope you don't mind that I was in here," she spoke hesitantly. But Sasuke just grabbed her by the hand and led her to his old bedroom. Everything was just as he had left it that day, minus the things he had taken with him to the apartment they moved him to. When he just stood there for a few minutes, still holding her hand, Sakura rubbed his arm with her other hand as she asked him, "Are you all right? Maybe we shouldn't have come here. And I was just thinking, we should go see Naruto, he'd want to know you're back and-"

"He already knows, I ran into him already," he replied absently.

"Oh, ok. Well, we can go somewhere else, rent a room at the inn or something," she suggested.

But Sasuke just turned to face and she found herself staring up into his intense eyes. She reached up and caressed his cheek to try to comfort him when he suddenly swept her up in his arms, covering her mouth passionately with his. Without stopping, he easily picked her up and laid her down on the bed, and climbing on top of her.

But then he stopped and pulled back slightly. "Sakura, do you want this?" he asked her. She bit her lower lip anxiously as she nodded to him.

But then nervousness suddenly washed over him, also, as if this was their first time. But it wasn't their first time; he had already ruined that. And he made no move to go any further.

Sakura, noticing his hesitation, looked deep into his dark eyes, and whispered to him, "Sasuke-kun, I love you with all of my heart." It had been the same words she had cried out to him that night he left for the Sound village. Brushing away a strand of pink hair that had fallen in front of her face, Sasuke forcefully pushed away the urge to run away again as he lay all his emotions out in the open for her to see, murmuring as he bathed her in kisses, "I love you, too, Sakura." And all the apprehensions and reservations that had built up between them gradually melted away, leaving behind a familiarity and comfort that each of them had been seeking for so long.

* * *

The next morning, Sasuke tried not to disturb Sakura, who was still sleeping, as he slipped out of bed. Picking up his clothes that had been dropped on the floor, he quietly got dressed and was about to leave the room when he felt a tug on his shirt. 

"And where do you think you're going? Can't you skip training for one morning and just stay here a little longer with me?" she whimpered playfully to him.

"I agreed to meet Naruto now. We're going to have a match."

"What?" Sakura yelled as she abruptly sat up in bed.

_Yeah, I figured she wouldn't be happy about it. Well, I suppose I can make it up to her later._ He relented that that last thought actually wasn't such a bad idea. "I'm sorry, but you're not going to stop me from going."

"Stop you from going? How could you think of not inviting me? Do you think I'm no one over here? I let you two have your fight back in the grass country, but I'm not being left out of this one. I'll take on the winner…just give me 5 minutes."

"You knew about that?" Sasuke asked weakly, but Sakura had already thrown on her clothes and was down the hall in the bathroom to finish getting ready. Sasuke just stared at the wall in shock; that wasn't what he was expecting at all.

_(Track 17)_  
And just as Kakashi had predicted, while things weren't quite the same as they were before the members of team 7 had taken their separate paths 3 years ago, they were finally restored as a team once again, and they still had plenty of adventures and choices ahead of them.

Owari


End file.
